The national exchequer would have to bear a loss of millions of rupees as the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has no option other than selling a tugboat off after at least three-years'' failed attempts to repair the vessel. The country''s leading port operator has a reputation not up to the mark while it comes to the maintenance of national assets under its supervision.
If illustrated, the collapse of two berths in August 2007 left at least 33 percent of the port non-functional, and emergence of a "big" technical fault in the newly acquired dredger "Abul" stand a question mark for KPT in terms of a timely and adequate maintenance work.
It would be pertinent to note that the KPT, which has plenty of plans on infrastructure development outside the port, spent only Rs 146 million (24 percent) out of Rs 600 million budgeted for repair and maintenance work in and outside the port during fiscal year 2006-07.
According to sources, the KPT would soon hold an open bidding for auctioning one of its tugboats "Sindbad" which once used to be an active part of its fleet and is now anchored non-operational at Berth No-1, East Wharf for last several months.
They said that various parts of the vessel, which had got a "VSP" fault at least three years back while undergoing a regular repair at Karachi Shipyard, were lying at deck of the now scrap ship. When contacted a KPT official told Business Recorder that the tugboat, which if operational, is used for towing big vessels and barges, was acquired by the KPT in 1960s. He, however, expressed his ignorance about any auctioning of the tug.