Captain of Ports Jetty Handover is Privatisation By Another Name; Panaji Councillor Jack Sukhija Demands Tender be Put on Hold; Relooked

~ Panaji councillor Jack Sukhija questioned the 40-year concession of government infrastructure and sought clarity on the proposed lease agreement.

~ Jack also asked whether the riverfront would be accessible to traditional ferry operators, fishermen and local communities, in the future.

Goa Khabar: Panaji councillor Jack Sukhija on Tuesday demanded that the Goa government put on hold the Captain of Ports tender for operation and maintenance of its terminal building and allied jetty facilities, questioning the need to hand over public infrastructure to a private operator for 40 years.

Calling the arrangement “privatisation in practice”, Jack said the distinction being drawn by the Captain of Ports between privatisation and a long-term licence was difficult to sustain.

“If you are giving away a licence for 40 years, if it is not equivalent to privatisation, then what is it? Most of us will not exist after 40 years. It is literally a handover of jetties to private entities,” Jack said at a press briefing in Panaji.

The Captain of Ports Department had recently said the tender does not transfer ownership of the terminal building or government-owned jetties and is instead an operation and maintenance arrangement. It has also maintained that casino operators will not be eligible to bid.

Jack, however, cited the adjoining Santa Monica jetty as a reason for concern over the effectiveness of such safeguards. He pointed to a private firm, Shanta Infratech, which was awarded the Santa Monica facility, and said the company had no apparent casino interest when it bid but was subsequently acquired by Delta Corp.

“Casino or casino-related entities will not be allowed to bid. But look at the Santa Monica jetty. Shanta Infratech at the time it was bid for had no casino interest. Today, 74 per cent of the company is owned by Deltin or Delta Corp. So what is this if not backdoor entry?” Jack said.

Those present at the press conference included Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goa, president Valmiki Naik, physician and music journalist Dr Luis Dias, freelance writer and journalist Cryselle Dias and AAP supporters Shyam Kolamkar and Herton Fernandes.

The Captain of Ports’ main building is among the facilities included in the tender. Jack said an earlier court proceeding involving the building had seen the department give an undertaking that it would be used for administrative purposes. He questioned whether the proposed arrangement was consistent with that position.

He also questioned the pace at which the government was moving to develop three new jetties at Kala Academy, Campal and Bhagwan Mahaveer Garden.

“What is the need for tenders for 10 jetties to be given out in such a short span of three months?” Jack asked, also questioning who would bear the cost of the infrastructure and whether access to the riverfront would remain available to traditional ferry operators, fishermen and local communities.

“Is the riverfront going to be blocked again? Are traditional ferry services, communities and fishermen going to be allowed, or is it a slow way to phase them out?” he said.

Jack said he had written to the Chief Minister, Captain of Ports, Ports Minister Digambar Kamat, Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate, the Chief Secretary and the Corporation of the City of Panaji.

“We are asking the government to put the tender on hold until there is a clear resolution as to why this is being done so fast,” Jack said, calling for a proper environmental assessment and greater public consultation.

“Be transparent. Do not use the backdoor,” Jack said.