Govt, GPS cos colluding: Houseboat owners

ALAPPUZHA: The government’s decision to set up a permanent houseboat tracking and safety management system, announced by tourism minister, A P Anil Kumar in the assembly,  has created a flutter in the houseboat industry.

The tracking system, suggested by a nine-member committee appointed by the government in response to the houseboat tragedy of January 2013, has been devised for the safety and security of passengers on the boats.

But protesting houseboat owners claimed that the tourism department was hurrying to introduce it as it was in cahoots with GPS companies.

“There is no need for such a  tracking system in the industry right now. The around 1,163 licensed houseboats are all operating safely on familiar routes.

If anything goes wrong, the houseboat owners are  able to take care of it quickly. The government’s move will only be an added liability,” contended Mr N Sreekumar, general secretary, All Kerala Houseboat Owners Association (AKHOA) .

“The minister made the announcement in the assembly, but we are not clear on the system to be installed . We expect the government to convene a meeting with houseboat owners to help us get a sense of it”, said Mr Jojy Mathew, president, Houseboat Owners’ Federation.

A meeting of a committee chaired by the principal tourism secretary had on February 25 last year announced that a system for checking the arrival and departure of tourists would be put in place in Punnamada and a Global Positioning System (GPS) installed for the safety of passengers on board houseboats.  

The committee had also said it would recommend forming an authority with more powers in the tourism industry sector on the lines of  the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and convene a meeting of insurance companies to extend insurance cover to passengers and staff of houseboats and motorboats.

Interestingly, the minister’s statement on the tracking system comes when all these recommendation still remain on paper.

The port department, however, says it is working on the recommendations made by the committee. “The tracking system, which will be instrumental in connecting all houseboats, will be installed soon. The department has cleared all papers on setting up floating jetties. The irrigation department has been asked to start work soon,” said port officer, A Vinod.