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Mumbai:
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday requested the Union authorities to resolve on a non-public agency’s request that decommissioned plane service Viraat be handed over to it, in order that the ship might be transformed right into a museum.
While the warship is awaiting dismantling at a ship scrapping yard at Alang in Gujarat, the Union authorities stated it had no objection if the petitioner purchased it from the bidder who bought it for scrapping.
A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Milind Jadhav was listening to a petition filed by Mumbai-based Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd, searching for a route to the Union Ministry of Defence to permit it to purchase Viraat.
The firm needed to transform the ship right into a maritime museum and multi-functional journey centre, the plea stated.
The HC stated that the reduction sought by the petitioner was a matter of coverage.
“Even if INS Viraat is to be converted into a museum….necessary permissions are required to be obtained. It would thus be appropriate that the Ministry of Defence takes a suitable decision,” it stated.
The petition stated that Viraat was the oldest serving warship on the planet when it was decommissioned.
“Such a carrier is being sold as scrap by the Union government instead of converting it into a maritime museum. The petitioner has filed an application to the government in July seeking its No Objection to take possession of the carrier and convert it into a museum,” it stated.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh stated the ship is 67 years previous and was mendacity unused since 2015.
“The Union government had initially written to all state governments calling for proposals but there was no reply. The ship was occupying a lot of space and hence the government decided to sell it as scrap,” Mr Singh stated.
Gujarat-based Shree Ram Group received the bid, he stated, including that the sale course of was accomplished in September and the federal government has acquired the cash.
“Hence the government is no more concerned with the ship as its owner is now the winning bidder,” ASG Singh stated.
But the petitioner firm can strategy Shree Ram Group and buy the ship from it, the ASG stated, including that “we (government) do not have any objection”.
The HC stated that the involved secretary of the Union authorities ought to resolve on the petitioner’s utility.
“It would be desirable that the decision is taken early as if the ship is dismantled, an irretrievable situation may take place,” the court docket stated, disposing of the petition.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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