The Indian Navy is planning to scrap a deal worth Rs 800 crore with a private sector shipyard over numerous delays in the 10-year period of the contract. According to sources, the contractor had only supplied one of the six vessels it had promised to deliver so far.
CONTRACT NOT HONOURED
In 2006, Indian Navy had signed a contract with Gujarat-based Alcock Ashdown Gujarat Limited shipyard for building catamarans or survey vessels after it beat established players like L&T, ABG Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders in an open tender for the prestigious naval bid.
“Out of the six vessels which would have been built under the Makar class, only one vessel INS Makar has been supplied and commissioned into the Navy but the other vessels have been delayed a long time,” Navy officials told Mail Today. Along with INS Makar, five more ships with names Meen, Mithun, Mesh,Mahika and Mayank were also supposed to be built but there is no indication on their scheduled timeline for induction from the vendor, the officials said.
SHIPS
Catamaran or survey vessels warships are planned to be used by the Navy to undertake coastal hydrographic survey, required for production of nautical charts and publications for improving navigation through waters closer to coasts. “The ships were also to be made capable of limited coastal defence role in an emergency, limited search and rescue and limited ocean research,” the officials said. Alcock Ash Down could not be reached for comments.