Sarthak Kanjilal & John Wilbert
Port Blair, Dec 20: The Andaman Unit of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today conducted a Joint Surprise check of the 08 Speed Boats, which are dumped in an abandoned state at Junglighat Jetty along with 02 Staffs of State Vigilance Unit and Engineers of Shipping Corporation of India.
As per reports, the eight Speed Boats namely MV Pillo Millow, MV Rangat, MV Hutbay, MV Baratang, MV Ongi, MV Wandoor, MV Long Island and MV Jolly Buoy are berthed in the Junglighat Jetty since last 2-3 years following which the CBI Unit of Andaman Nicobar Islands has received numerous complaints.
As per insiders in the CBI, no case was registered in this regard and today the CBI Unit has only conducted a surprise check that too jointly with other agencies.
It is also learnt that, the CBI Unit has also asked a senior officer of Directorate of Shipping Services to visit the spot so that things remains transparent.
As per senior officer of the CBI who doesn’t want his name to be quoted said that they have received numerous complaints regarding these speed boats, which are lying in the Junglighat Jetty in an abandoned state, since past several years.
“As it’s a tourist season there were complaints from the public that there are several speed boats, which are not serving in this peculiar season and tourists, general public and tour operators have to run through pillar to post, to get tickets of Private ferries. This was the most important reason behind this surprise check,” said the senior officer of CBI.
He said that the unit have checked the log books of the speed boats and tried to find the reason behind such a long non operational period even after the Shipping Department is having a tie up with technical agency and manning agency for which huge tax payers money is paid.
“We have found that engines of all the boats are in perfect running condition,” the senior officer of CBI said.
As per the senior officer of the CBI, they have more aspects to study, which might take a month or two and after that the CBI Unit, Andaman Nicobar will be submitting a memorandum to the Shipping Department, Andaman Nicobar Islands, Ministry of Shipping and also to the CBI Headquarter, New Delhi.
