Visakhapatnam: Visakha Veterans, comprising former senior bureaucrats, ex-Naval and ex-Merchant Navy personnel and marine engineers, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to order an independent study with experts on turning the decommissioned aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, Viraat, into a maritime museum at Vizag.
They are of the opinion that the study conducted by the state government puts the cost to turn the aircraft carrier into museum at Rs 1,000 crore which is exaggerated, and with minimal cost the job can be done for which a study by the maritime experts needs to be taken up.
“It is my firm belief that the advisers to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also misled him in a similar manner. Although he had shown keen interest in converting Viraat into a museum off Visakhapatnam, he came up with a budgetary projection of Rs 1,000 crore and a land requirement to the extent of 1,000 acres. These figures in my opinion, are highly exaggerated and unjustified for the project in question. Consequently, he too had to back out,” said Vizag Veterans convenor Capt. R.L.D. Nathaniel, in a letter to the Prime Minister.
He added that neither the cost estimates nor the land requirement have been evaluated by any professional body, comprising maritime experts.
Nor do these claims compare well with similar maritime museums established elsewhere in the world.
“In fact, a preliminary study was undertaken in this regard by Tata Consultancy at the behest of the Maharashtra state government. It is understood from media reports that they recommended Oyster Rock, a small island off Mum-bai, as a possible location for securing another aircraft carrier Vikrant and operating it as a maritime museum. The fate of the second aircraft carrier, Viraat has now become a matter of hope, despair and speculation once again,” he added.
He asked Mr Modi to have a detailed study carried out by a professional body, Indian or foreign, to assess the feasibility of Viraat being towed from Mumbai to Visakhapatnam, which, given the keen interest evinced by the state government, is a suitable location for converting it into a maritime museum.
There exist several salvage and towing companies such as Smit International which can undertake the towage from Mumbai to Visakh-apatnam, he added.
