Panaji: The Captain of Ports Department (CoP) on Thursday said that the recently floated tender for the operation and maintenance of its terminal building and allied jetty facilities does not involve privatisation or transfer of ownership of government assets.
“There is no proposal to sell or privatise the Captain of Ports terminal building or government jetties,” the CoP said in a statement, adding that the tender is intended to bring in professional expertise for their operation and maintenance while retaining government ownership, statutory authority and oversight.
The department said the tender is aimed at engaging a professional operator to manage and maintain specified facilities under an operation-and-maintenance framework for the prescribed concession period, while also generating revenue for the government.
According to the department, the tender distinguishes between the responsibilities of the government and those of the selected operator.
“Statutory wharfage, berthing and other charges payable by vessel operators will continue to accrue to the authority, while the private operator will be responsible for facility-management functions including maintenance, housekeeping, sanitation, passenger amenities, security, surveillance and access control,” it stated.
The operator will also be required to provide security deployment and give the department real-time access to a Jetty Operations Management Dashboard containing information on passenger numbers, vessel movements, arrival and departure timings, berthing utilisation, dues, user fees, incidents and maintenance activities.
It also stated that casino operators will not be eligible to participate in the tender.
“The terminal and jetties constitute important public maritime infrastructure requiring continuous maintenance and professional management to ensure the safety and security of passengers and other users,” said the CoP.
However, major structural repairs to the jetty facilities will remain the responsibility of the authority, the department said.
The department also said the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement is intended to make better economic use of the infrastructure while reducing the recurring operational burden on the government.
Under the tender, the selected bidder will pay an annual licence fee to the government as well as a percentage share of the gross revenue generated from the project. Commercial facilities such as the rooftop restaurant, cafeteria, amphitheatre and ticketing counters can be utilised by the operator within the regulatory framework prescribed by the authority.
The controversy followed the CoP floating a Rs 27.04-crore tender to hand over the operation and maintenance of the Terminal and allied jetties to a private operator, while also proposing the construction of a yacht docking station under a PPP model.
