| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Indian Navy sidelined for port development contract to Dubai Ports World |
| 2006-04-11 |
| Commercial interests may have denied the Indian Navy access to a port to berth the indigenous nuclear submarine which is being built. NDTV has learnt that a contract has been granted to a foreign player, the Dubai Ports World to develop the Gangavaram port in Andhra Pradesh. A few days ago, Gangavaram was in the news after violent protests against the construction of a new port, India's largest in Andhra Pradesh. Questions raised But now a senior retired official has questioned whether the interests of India's Eastern Naval Command has been compromised. The Navy wanted Gangavaram as a base for its nuclear submarines. But they've been told to look elsewhere and the go-ahead for the port has been given to the Dubai Ports World, the world's third biggest port operator. Incidentally, DPW was in the news recently after US lawmakers successfully protested against them taking over the New York port. Sources told NDTV, India seems to have compromised its security to accommodate Dubai Ports World, now a controversial monopoly operator in India. According to the sources, Gangavaram was identified by the Navy as best suited to build berthing facilities for its Advanced Technology Vessel project or nuclear submarine. But four years ago, the Navy was told to look elsewhere. "The Eastern Naval Command at Vishakhapatnam has many strategic assets placed around there. A foreign company operating in Gangavaram hardly a few kilometres away certainly in my view, raises security issues of a very serious nature," said EAS Sharma, former secretary, Economic Affairs. Strategic location It was in Vishakhapatnam, at the Eastern Naval Command that Chakra, the nuclear submarine leased from the Soviet Union, was berthed and the new acquisitions were to have been docked. Gangavaram is just 15 kilometres from Vishakhapatnam, so close that even the Dubai Ports website talks of Vishakhapatnam instead of Gangavaram. It is this proximity to the Eastern Naval Command that is worrying senior officials. "I have written about this to the home minister and I have addressed the National Security Advisor and also I have addressed the defence secretary and I am sure they will look into it. "But I am sure the Defence Ministry would have raised objections when the foreign port's proposal was considered. I am surprised how the Defence Ministry's objections were not considered at that time. "In my view Gangavaram port project is economically not a very comfortable proposition strategically it is an imprudent decision. Yet it was pushed through in undue haste and that shows questionable motives and attitudes," the former Economic Affairs secretary said. No response from Navy NDTV asked the Defence Ministry whether Gangavaram was identified as a naval facility for strategic assets and if so, why the ministry allowed Dubai Ports to take over the site? The US Congress barred Dubai Ports on grounds of national security. Does the Dubai Ports in Gangavaram pose a security threat, NDTV asked the Defence Ministry, but there was no reply. Did commercial compulsions force politicians to shift India's nuclear submarine base? Or did larger geopolitical reasons place a private player in India's strategic backyard? This top secret decision is indeed intriguing. |
| Posted by:john |
| #1 Time for a name change. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-11 22:03 |