KOCHI: Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation ( KSINC ) is conducting the boat services of Kochi corporation between Vypeen and Fort Kochi without an agreement with the local body. The agreement has expired a couple of months ago.The roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) services are also operating based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between KSINC and the corporation, and no agreement has been signed even after 11 months after the launch of the service.Corporation authorities who should have floated a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for operating the Ro-Ro vessels and a boat service haven’t done anything in this regard.“Corporation authorities do not have any information regarding the revenue generation from the Ro-Ro services. As per the MoU, the corporation and KSINC should have shared profit on 50:50 basis. Still, the corporation hasn’t got any penny,” said corporation opposition leader K J Antony.Mayor Soumini Jain said that the agreement was yet to be prepared.“KSINC has given details of revenue for one or two months. The agreement with KSINC for operating the boat service also expired. We have to renew it,” Jain said.The mayor has given instructions to the corporation secretary to prepare the draft agreement to be signed with KSINC and place it at the next meeting of the corporation council.The demand for plying the two Ro-Ro vessels at least from dawn to dusk is getting louder. “As of now, one vessel is operating from 6am to 9pm, while the second one is operating from 2pm to 9pm. The reason for the second vessel not starting services from morning was shortage of trained drivers. Now, there are three trained drivers and so the vessels can be operated from 6am to 9pm,” said Vypeen Janakeeya Samithi president Majnu Komath.“This would help reduce rush of vehicles and passengers in the sector,” he said.Though the corporation authorities had failed to float the SPV for operating the Ro-Ro, the local body authorities are mooting separate SPVs for various purposes, including waste management.It was in October 2018 that the corporation gave reply to to a set of queries raised by the government in December 2017 regarding the formation of the SPV for conducting Ro-Ro services. But the government rejected the reply citing it was improper. Still, the local body authorities are unable to give a fresh reply and secure nod from the state in this regard.

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