Don't pay the ferryman

Taking us for a ride

Look around and watch the cars our ministers, MLAs and IAS officers travel in. There is never a shortage of official four wheels or the latest model update on the road. If you don't see one it is because you are not looking, or frankly couldn't care a fig. But there seem to be as many government vehicles in and around Panjim to put it in broader perspective as there are migrants in and around Panjim. You would think this government ran on wheels. It even has a marine police wing whose largest boat would sail down the Mandovi till about a year and a half ago with the kids of some senior cop or IAS type on board.

More to the point, this very same government at present has 37 ferry vessels. Twenty-three of them are in working condition or barely floating. Of this overly stretched fleet of 37 vessels, 28 are needed to provide a normal service (as defined by the government, not me). In other words, there is a shortfall of five. The figure of five is what the government says and is based on the fact 23 ferries are in working condition. So, because the figure of 37 ferries could be far more than what is physically required to provide a decent on-time service, the figure of five could be meaningless. But then governments love to throw figures at you. But, we who travel in ferries know better.

The river winds

Somewhere in this huge heap of virtual scrap metal, officials say are 14 ferries awaiting repairs of which 10 need major repairs. Major repairs in shipping lingo could mean bottom plate replacement or even engine overhaul. What I am saying here is we might not just have a fleet of ferries sooner than later or, at best the 23 figure could go down progressively or quickly. No one knows. Factor in the fact that the government has a budget of just Rs 50 lakh per annum for maintenance and to buy spares for its fleet. In other words, the smallest expense at IFFI couldn't have been smaller than this.

These are more facts I find startling. Over the past seven years, no outside party has been commissioned to undertake repairs as there was no real need for this. This is the official line of thinking. The government bought 12 ferry boats (single engine, single bottomed) between 1998-2000 for approx Rs 22 lakh each. Normally, a new ferry does not need to be repaired for the first six years or so. This means the government has clearly gone to sleep over the issue of replenishing its fleet of ageing vessels. Carrying out major repairs to a ferry at today's prices could cost up to Rs 30 lakh and involves overhauling of the vessel's bottom and sides. And yet twenty times this amount is wasted each time the government thinks of constructing some totally unwanted building. In fact, a fraction of its own gas bill would pay for the cost of a brand new fleet of much wanted ferries.

………and bends

The process for having six ferries repaired was started two years ago, but due to politicking especially in the Assembly, the tenders have been delayed. Result: The politicians looked good, we suffered. Now, the re-tendering process will reportedly begin this month and after that, if everything goes well, the contracts will be awarded after due process. Amen to that if happens. Repairs to a ferry normally take about 45 days and, if the firm undertaking the repairs has the capacity to handle three vessels simultaneously, it would take nearly 90 days for the six ferries to be repaired. But, the tender process must be completed, the politicking must end, and a government must be in place or, else you can say ta ta to your dream of having a passable river crossing service. But, there's still a problem I have not been able to make sense of. And that is, it appears the government will sanction only Rs 50 lakh as token money towards this repair work. This is against, the approximately Rs 2crore it would require to repair these boats. This, the government has to sanction out of a contingency fund. But what this government needs to really do is to immediately invite bids to construct six new ferry boats which will cost nearly Rs 75lakh each. These new ferries must have two engines for better speed and manneouvrability especially to avoid colliding with barges.
If this can be a smooth process, then the bidder who is awarded the contract must deliver a ferry within the stipulated period of 100 days. But, as in the case of a simple question of repairing six ferries, this has languished for two years. My final point being you can kiss goodbye to having your ferry problem resolved for several more years.

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