Chennai: The ambitious Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum project at Mamallapuram in which the decommissioned INS Vagli submarine was to be the major attraction is unlikely to materialise.
The project has become a white elephant for the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) and officially the corporation has admitted that its profitability has been “eroded” due to this project.
The warhorse, which was decommissioned by the Indian Navy on December 9, 2010 in Visakhapatnam after completing 36 years of service under 23 commanding officers, will be returned to its owner.
A decision to hand over the vessel to navy “consequent to the failure of the contractor to haul the submarine and install it at Mamallapuram after towing it to Mamallapuram shores (from Chennai port) in April 2014,” was decided by the TTDC at its board meeting on November 12, 2015 itself.
“But the question is will Navy take it back. We lack the expertise to convert it into museum or the resources to maintain it. It is only the Indian navy that can ensure this,” a senior TTDC official said.
The corporation had incurred a net loss of Rs 1.53 crore during 2015 - 16 fiscal compared to the net profit of Rs 3.91 crore during 2014-15. The profitability has been eroded due to the incidence of extraordinary expenditure of Rs 5.41 crore relating to establishment of TN Maritime Heritage Museum at Mamallapuram, as per TTDC's annual report.
An expenditure of Rs 4.37 crore incurred on this project till March end 2015 was reckoned as capital works in progress during 2014-15 fiscal. This sum along with expenses of '36 lakh incurred during 2015 — 16 towards insurance, port charges and husbandry services and interest of '68 lakh has not been charged off as extraordinary expenditure as the project has become “infructuous.”
It is said the TTDC is incurring a monthly expenditure of Rs 3.20 lakh towards recurring charges of port charges, insurance and husbandry charges for berthing the submarine at the Chennai port here. At present, TTDC is awaiting government orders to hand over INS Vagli back to Indian navy, which gifted its Foxtrot class submarine in March 2013.
