Decision to declassify sea-going tug MT Malabar triggers row in Kerala, might trigger job losses

By Express News Service

KOCHI: The choice of the Kerala Maritime Board to declassify M T Malabar, the one sea-going tug owned by the state and registered with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), has triggered a row.

According to the Seafarers Confederation of India, a BMS affiliated union, the vessel had helped the Maritime Board earn a great income because it was used for a crew change at Vizhinjam and Kollam ports. “The declassification of the tug will cause job losses for Near Coastal Voyage (NCV) officers involved in safe manning of vessels and port to port operations. With the Vizhinjam international port set to be opened in three years, the Maritime Board could have earned good revenue using the tug,” mentioned common secretary Ok S Anilkumar.

The tug was used to tow M V Deep Sethu, a ship belonging to Lakshadweep from Kochi to Azheekal which proved its utility. The different 5 tugs owned by the Maritime Board have Kerala Inland Vessel registration which has space restrictions in sea operations. The choice to declassify the tug is geared toward serving to personal operators, mentioned Anilkumar.

The Maritime Board had moved the tug from Kollam to Kochi on February 19, 2021, with an expired certificates after which the Merchantile Marine Department (MMD) had slapped a superb of Rs 8 lakh for violation of Merchant Shipping Act guidelines.

Denying the allegations, Maritime Board CEO H Dineshan mentioned the choice to de-classify the tug was taken because the board was incurring a lack of Rs 35 lakh per 12 months for upkeep and compliance with IRS pointers. The tugs are used primarily for berthing and unberthing maneuvers at ports. Maintaining the MMD registration incurs large expense and Kerala Inland Vessel registration is sufficient for such operations. In case of sea operations, the board can avail single voyage permission from the MMD, he mentioned.