NT Reporter Panaji
Goa’s only micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) cluster, the Konkan Maritime Cluster, coming up at the Verna industrial estate, continues to be dogged by delays, with the government facing difficulties in sourcing equipment needed by the cluster companies and refloating the project tender for the fourth time.
A senior official at the Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce (DITC), on Wednesday, said the present tender for four vital machines was floated a few days ago and is based on recommendations made by the cluster members. He said the previous three tenders failed due to lack of interest from manufacturers of the said machines.
“The Indian shipping industry has limited manufacturers who supply machinery and few among them have shown interest in delivering to the maritime cluster,” said the government official.
He explained that manufacturers prefer to deal with private shipping companies and said fears of delay in receiving payment could be one of the reasons for the absence of adequate response.
According to the industries department, the hurdles in procuring machinery for KMC are numerous, as there are a few eligible manufacturers. Most of the machinery is imported and customised to suit specifications of the users. As per the terms set by the purchasing committee to procure the machinery, the manufacturer has to be a domestic company so that the government can get access to regular maintenance.
The maritime cluster project was launched in 2020, and the progress so far includes acquisition of land, construction of a work-shed with members contributing towards part of the project cost.
The industries department has been floating tenders for the maritime cluster since 2023, viz. in November 2023, January and October 2024. A total of nine major machineries will be required by the cluster once it is complete; the latest tender is for plate and pipe bending machine, plasma CNC steel cutting machine, shot blasting and priming plant and an industrial waste disposal plant.
Konkan Marine Cluster is being set up by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and is the first maritime cluster of India. The project involves creation of common facilities for shipbuilders to design and manufacture ships. The purchase of equipment for the common facility will be done by the industries department, which is the nodal agency for the project.
The cost of the KMC is Rs 16.21 crore, of which Rs 12 crore will be financed by the Ministry of MSME, Rs 1.5 crore by the state government and the remaining Rs 2.7 crore will be contributed by the 57 units that are the cluster members.
The project will enable small shipyards to build ships at low cost. Small shipyards cannot afford expensive equipment costing approximately Rs 3-4 crore each, and are, therefore, at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis large shipping companies.
