KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation has decided to procure a third Ro-Ro vessel as a standby, should one of the vessels go out of service in future for maintenance. Last month, one vessel operating on Fort Kochi-Vypeen route was dry-docked for mandatory repairs, leading to a huge rush. The proposal for an additional vessel was submitted to the previous council back in 2018 when it was decided to implement the Ro-Ro service on the Fort Kochi-Vypeen route.
“The need for a third Ro-Ro vessel was brought to the notice of former mayor Soumini Jain and current Mayor M Anilkumar several times. Yet no action was taken over the years,” said Majnu Komath, chairman of Vypeen Janakeeya Koottayma (people’s collective). Even before the launch of Ro-Ro service, in 2017, a memorandum for a spare vessel was submitted to the mayor, he said.
“It took five years for the administration to understand the need and to discuss the procurement of a third vessel,” Majnu pointed out. The council meeting held on Tuesday passed the proposal to fund the maintenance of the Ro-Ro vessel dry-docked at the shipyard. It is estimated to cost Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 crore. “The corporation owes the shipyard around `86 lakh for earlier repairs. Until the dues are cleared, the shipyard will not begin the work,” said Deputy Mayor K A Ansiya. She said the shipyard has to import spare parts for the repair and the fund will be provided based on an estimate it submitted a few days ago.
With demands rising for Ro-Ro services, Majnu and other members of the collective had met Mayor Anilkumar after he took charge last year. They explained the need for a standby vessel and urged him to take steps before one of the vessels gets dry-docked, Majnu said. “The previous council and ex-mayor are 90% responsible for the lapse in bringing in a standby vessel. The current council and mayor are bound to rectify it,” he said.
A corporation source said the local body does not get enough income from Ro-Ro service, with the maintenance cost being higher than revenue. As per an agreement in 2018, the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) handles the operation and bears daily maintenance costs while the corporation has to bear dry-dock expenses. It also says the corporation and KSINC will get an equal share of the profit. As per the revenue statement, the corporation expects to earn Rs 1.5 crore from Ro-Ro vessels this year.
For the past two years, KSINC has given less than Rs 20 lakh. With the corporation already short on funds, clarity is lacking on funding as figures on income and expenditure continue to be misleading.