Jetty that saved a government sinks

The mineral was being loaded on a barge for transshipment on a ship bound for Russia. Now, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has submitted an investigation report detailing the damage at the jetty, on instruction from the environment department. The file is with the department. So what’s so special about the jetty? The answer lies in its political history. It was a small favour to the company that built it that helped then Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, save his fragile government on June 13 last year. At the height of the political uncertainty that plagued Maharashtra — after the defection of seven ruling party MLAs to the opposition — the State Cabinet had on June 12, 2002, hastily cleared a proposal to grant a whopping 75 per cent concession in the cess charged on commercial jetties. At the time, PNP’s was the only commercial jetty in the State. After the decision, five MLAs from Patil’s party abstained from voting against the Government and helped Deshmukh to keep his government afloat with a wafer-thin majority. The cabinet had ignored adverse remarks from the finance department and granted the concession for five years, depriving the State of Rs. 5.5 crore in revenue. The May 17 MPCB report says the company failed to take ‘‘structural safety precautions while operating the jetty.’’ The environment department hasn’t yet decided the future course of action. ‘‘I am aware of the incident but I have not read the report so far,’’ said Environment Secretary Jayant Kawle. ‘‘My department had directed the MPCB to submit the report. I will go through it and then decide if any action can be taken or not.’’ MPCB member secretary Munshilal Gautam said the board would study the effect on the sensitive ecology in the area. Gautam revealed that the jetty had not yet got environmental clearance from the Centre. ‘‘I had personally inspected the jetty after the Bombay High Court directed to submit a report in response to a petition filed before it,’’ he recalled.

O.K. Malwankar, executive director of the company, played down the issue. ‘‘It was an old and weak jetty. Although we had repaired it sometime ago, it gave in to an unbearable load,’’ he said. ‘‘We have not done anything wrong.’’

Malwankar dismissed the possibility of environmental damages saying bauxite lumps are not hazardous. Asked about the Union Government’s environmental clearance, he said the Centre had given conditional permission to the company to operate the jetty. His company has sought permission for another jetty, Malwankar said. He blamed the State Government for a delay in clearance. ‘‘It is lethargic,’’ he remarked.