Click to play videoPorbandar (Gujarat): The Comptroller and Auditor General had recently come down heavily on the Indian Coast Guard for acquiring three pollution control vessels at the cost of a Rs 368 crore.
A CNN-IBN special investigation now reveals how it’s not just the cost that’s a cause for concern; even the quality of the vessels was severely compromised with.
In these pollution control vessels being constructed by the ABG shipyard for the Coast Guard, crucial power and data cables are below standards.
Cuts and deformations are clearly visible and even a simple short circuit could send this Rs 200 crore vessel into flames.
A report from the Directorate of Materials in possession of CNN-IBN reveals that the ship's hull and other equipment – supposed to be made of steel – have not been properly preserved.
The report also says the use of aluminum is in violation of tender requirements confirmed by officers associated with the project.
"Acceptance of defective tail shafts is very important. We should have got a new shaft,” says a Coast Guard officer on conditions of anonymity.
CNN-IBN: Did you notice all these things?
Officer: Yes, but there are much more changes in the entire deck as well.
An aluminum helideck on one of the vessels CNN-IBN team visited had clearly violated class rules. While the contract states the deck should be made of marine grade steel, only aluminum was used.
In fact, deformations have already occurred. A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General is a damning evidence of that. It says that the progress of the work has been dismal, that there have been deviations from approved drawings and that there are quality concerns since ABG Shipyard deviated from ship-building practices.
But ABG maintains that the hull and other parts have been preserved properly, that.Marine Grade steel is used in the Hull and that the aluminum helideck is not a deviation.
While most of the terms in the contract agreement have been violated, ABG Shipyard has consistently gone ahead and taken its payments on time. So while the moolah flows from the Coast Guard's pocket, they are still waiting for a deformed ship.
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