KARWAR: While the Navy is planning to decommission aircraft carrier INS Viraat and convert it into a docked museum next year, competition has begun between Karwar and Mangaluru to house the ship.
Dakshina Kannada district administration has already written to the state government seeking approval to house the aircraft carrier in Mangaluru, sources said. Now, the Uttara Kannada district administration has thrown its hat into the ring. DC Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh told Express that he is sending a proposal to the state government in this regard in three days.
“As the naval base is here, the repair and maintenance of the museum will not be a Herculean task,” the DC said. Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area, Rear Admiral S N Ghormade told Express that the Navy has written to the state government over the matter and it is the government which has to take the call on whether to dock it in Karwar or in Mangaluru. However, he agreed that as the ship repair yard is in Karwar, it will be easy to maintain the museum.