NT NETWORK
VASCO
Goa Barge Owners Association (GBOA) president Atul Jadhav on Friday said that the fall in the price of iron ore in the international market could affect the e-auction of iron ore and the quantum of the ore to be exported during the current season.
Jadhav was addressing the media onboard ‘Princessa’ on the occasion of the ‘opening’ of the barge route over a sand bar, on Friday morning.
Captain of Ports James Braganza, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association secretary Glen Kalavampara, executive committee members of the GBOA Prabhakar Naik, Chandrakant Gawas, Pramod Dessai, Nickson Pares, Premnath Sirsai and others were present on the occasion.
The members of the GBOA offered srifal to the Mandovi river after offering a prayer and doing a ritual onboard the vessel.
Speaking further, Jadhav said that the barge owners are facing difficult times for the last four years, after the mining activity was halted in the state.
“The GBOA and its members wish to thank the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for his all out efforts in ensuring early resumption of mining activity in Goa so that the mining stakeholders survive,” he said.
He also said that the Chief Minister Parsekar, considering the difficulties faced by the barge owners and the truck and machinery owners has extended the Debt Relief Scheme (DRS).
While welcoming the extension of DRS, Jadhav appealed to the Chief Minister to initiate steps so that the loans of the barge owners are taken over by a nodal agency, and the loan repayment term is reset proportionate to the volume of business available.
The GBOA president said that at the time of closure of mining in the state on October 10, 2012, there were 181 barge loan accounts with a total loan of Rs 363 crore.
“Last year, at this time, we had loans of Rs 240 crore on 116 barges, and now there are loans on around 70 barges, amounting to Rs 166 crore,” he said and added that Rs 363 crore loans (as on September 30, 2012) included Rs 263 crore loans from nationalised banks and Rs 100 crore loans given by co-operative banks, EDC and L and T Finance.
“With 30 per cent waiver on loans given by the nationalised banks, except IDBI Bank, loan exposure has come down from Rs 263 crore to Rs 87 crore, but the loans obtained from co-operative banks, EDC and L and T Finance has come down from Rs100 crore to Rs 79 crore,”he said adding the barge owners need to be given assistance by the state government by reimbursing the 30 per cent waiver to be given by the co-operative banks, EDC and L and T Finance.
Jadhav disclosed that the GBOA has decided to start a transparent rotation system so that the cargo is distributed equitably amongst the members of the association.
“The rotation system was tried out successfully in the last year,”he added.
He said that the barge industry was instrumental in generating employment opportunities in the state.
“The industry employed 6,000 persons directly as crew on barges and further 30,000 persons were employed in ancillaries like ports, services, offices, shipyards etc, but today, those employed in this sector are facing difficulties and due to which both employers and employees are looking forward to the commencement of the business at the earliest,”he added.
