Panaji: History repeats again, no lessons learnt. July 2018 “Piedade Ferry” broke down on Betim – Panaji route. June 2024, the same “Piedade Ferry” breaks down on the same route. Rescue Operations endangering lives of commuters including women. Disaster Management of BJP Government stands exposed, charged Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
Reacting to the incident of breakdown of ferry on Betim-Panaji route causing inconvenience to commuters who were stranded for more than four hours, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao released the video of 2018 showing the breakdown of the same ferry boat on the same route and slammed the BJP Government for not taking corrective measures in last six years.
BJP Government is still operating the Ferry Boats which were procured during the Congress Government as early as in 1986 and 1988, 1991, 1996 etc. These Ferry Boats were purchased maintaining complete transparency and hence are functional till date. Congress Government always focused on quality of the product and hence all these Ferry Boats are fit to operate. Unfortunately, BJP Government has failed to even maintain the Ferry Boats, claimed Yuri Alemao.
BJP Government’s “Solar Ferry Boat” which was purchased despite Captain of Ports remarks that the said Ferry Boat will be “Uneconomical” has turned out to be a “Liability” within one year of its launching with the River Navigation Minister Subhash Phaldesai declaring it as “Unviable”, stated Yuri Alemao.
The incident has also exposed the Disaster Management of the River navigation Department as well as the Disaster Management Cell. Yesterday, the Ferry Boat from Chorao was brought to rescue the stranded passengers on Piedade Ferry. This resulted in chaos at Chorao- Ribandar route leading to long queues of Vehicles. This has also exposed that River Navigation Department has no Equipments to handle such situations, said Yuri Alemao.
Government must stop experimenting and focus on strengthening the fleet of time tested Ferry Boats and stop wasting Taxpayers money on Solar Ferry Boats and Ro-Ro Ferry Boats, advised Yuri Alemao.
