Paradip: With a boat purchased for patrolling in the sea lying defunct at the Paradip fishing jetty here in Jagatsinghpur district, the staff engaged for its use have been getting their salaries without doing any work for the last three years. No one knows when the Fisheries department will buy another boat. Sources said that the Fisheries department had purchased the boat for Rs 1.5 crore in 2007. After being used for 12 years, it developed some technical snags. Substantial amounts were spent on repair work, but the boat continued to give problems.
Finally, it was declared defunct and non-operational after the deputy director of Fisheries department visited the jetty and conducted a review of the boat in 2019. The Fisheries department had employed six regular staff members to operate the boat. Three of them have retired, but the three others are still in service and continue to draw salaries without doing any work.
Also, the department has to shell out hefty amounts when it rents boats for patrolling purposes. AJ Rao, the driver of the boat said that the vessel was a powerful one with double engines of 325 horsepower. The boat patrolled areas from Paradip to Gopalpur and Gahirmatha. The boat was used mostly during the mating and breeding season of rare Olive Ridley turtles.
It was used to implement the two-month fishing ban enforced every year by the Fisheries department. Rao added that the vessel was also used to rescue fishermen and boats when they were in danger at sea. When contacted, the assistant director of Fisheries (ADF) department, Tusharkanta Mohapatra said senior officials have conducted a review of the vessel and there is a proposal to purchase another boat for patrolling.