RoRo: Corporation yet to sign agreement with KSINC

KOCHI: Even after almost two months since Kochi corporation council giving approval for signing agreement between the local body and Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) for operating RoRo vessels in the Fort Kochi-Vypeen sector, the authorities are yet to complete the procedures for signing the deed. In the absence of an agreement, insurance company won’t be providing compensation in the event of accidents.
KSINC has been operating RoRo services since April 28, 2018, on the basis of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into between the two parties. “We had revised the draft agreement so as to include certain clauses in it. We have sent it to the KSINC authorities and they are yet to reply,” mayor Soumini Jain said.
Opposition leader K J Antony said corporation authorities were showing criminal negligence in this regard. “It was after exerting much pressure that the mayor and team forced the council to pass the agenda for signing the agreement during the council meeting in April. The mayor had pointed out the need to sign an agreement citing safety issues, insurance coverage, etc. Even after two months, the corporation authorities have failed to sign the agreement,” Antony said.
Now, the mayor has asked the corporation officials to get the final draft of agreement completed without delay. Officials said they would be completing the final draft in a couple of days. At the same time, KSINC authorities said they had replied to the letter sent by the corporation along with the draft of the agreement. “They have included some fresh conditions, which were not there in the MoU. We have written back to the corporation expressing dissent over including new clauses,” an official with KSINC said.
As per the financial statements of RoRo services, the revenue garnered from operating the services for three months ending on October 17, 2018 is Rs 71.31 lakh, while daily expenses during the period shown in the statements prepared by KSINC is Rs 24.34 lakh. The statements procured by K J Antony shows that salary expenses for the period is Rs 18.94 lakh while Rs 52,000 has been shown as oil bill. Another Rs 1.70 lakh has been recorded as other expenses while administrative expenses have been put at Rs 4.49 lakh. Antony alleged that there are misappropriations in the revenue and expenditure statements of the RoRo services. He asked the corporation authorities to take measures to monitor it closely.