Goa's proposal for passenger ship to Mumbai hanging fire

, Nov 7:

government's three-year-old proposal for a passenger ship service, connecting the coastal state to Mumbai through sea route, has been hanging fire due to lack of interest shown by the concerned department, a senior official said.

The service, which was planned on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis, failed to take off despite the proposal being cleared by the government in November 2010. The proposal had even received the nod of the state Cabinet, asking the PPP cell to draft the Request for Proposal document.

Officials confirmed that the cell has not drafted the proposal till date and the sea route service, which could have been a new link between the commercial capital of India and Goa, has been left in a limbo.

James Braganza, heading Panaji port where the ship was likely to dock, told PTI that the delay on the part of Goa government has resulted in the Maharashtra counterpart to withdraw itself from the proposal. Goa government's PPP cell chief Anand Sherkhane was unavailable for comment.

The ship service between Mumbai to Goa is not a new concept. Braganza said that the passenger liner service between both the destinations was operational till about 25 years ago. Mumbai-based company Samudra Link Ferry Shipping and Cruise Services Private Limited was keen on restarting the facility, but lost interest due to Goa government's delays.

"The company wanted to restart the project on PPP model as it was not viable for them to launch it alone. Later they also lost interest, as government was moving (the project) at a snail's pace," a senior official attached to state port ministry said.

The company had initially proposed to press into service a marine vessel with 224 berths and 203 chairs. Depending on the response, it had also planned to induct a larger ship.

PTI