The Bombay high court on Thursday cleared the decks for turning decommissioned warship INS Vikrant, to scrap. The court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to prevent the government’s proposed plan to auction the country’s first aircraft carrier, a part of national history, as scrap.
The HC bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha accepted defence ministry’s stand that the foremost aircraft carrier decommissioned since 1997, that had served India well in two wars is ‘completely unsafe’ and unfit for preservation as museum. The Centre said that it was not feasible to retain the ship as a permanent museum and the decision taken last year to scrap it was based on government policy. The ship at present stands docked off Mumbai coast as a defence museum. But additional solicitor general Kevic Setalvad said it had lived out its “life’’ and several efforts were made earlier to preserve it. J S Saluja, Centre’s lawyer said “even cadets are not allowed to aboard for training, it is that corroded and dangerous for human life.’’
Besides, he said, “the project estimate in 2010 was Rs.500 crore with Rs.350 crore required alone for recreating its base. The costs would now have escalated.”
The HC bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha accepted defence ministry’s stand that the foremost aircraft carrier decommissioned since 1997, that had served India well in two wars is ‘completely unsafe’ and unfit for preservation as museum. The Centre said that it was not feasible to retain the ship as a permanent museum and the decision taken last year to scrap it was based on government policy. The ship at present stands docked off Mumbai coast as a defence museum. But additional solicitor general Kevic Setalvad said it had lived out its “life’’ and several efforts were made earlier to preserve it. J S Saluja, Centre’s lawyer said “even cadets are not allowed to aboard for training, it is that corroded and dangerous for human life.’’
Besides, he said, “the project estimate in 2010 was Rs.500 crore with Rs.350 crore required alone for recreating its base. The costs would now have escalated.”
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