Article - 103 Week 29 Rays Of Hope From God’s Own Country

Article - 103  Week 29  

Rays Of  Hope From God's Own Country

Vallarpadam has arrived finally. After tons of money spent, loads of files passed, endless amount of non-sensical discussions and chatters Vallarpadam got its Cabotage waiver in principle. You remember that funny rule called Cabotage, where you do not allow foreign ships to carry any thing  (not even a thakahua empty metal dabba) from one port to another in our country. Like, when you come to the International Airport in Mumbai after many chakars in the air, you are coerced & arm-twisted in to those rickety & smelly kali-pili (black & yellow) taxis to take you home or to your  Hotel. And they would charge you a bomb after shaking all your loose bones in their sockets. Meru and other fleet taxis are not allowed because they are more efficient, comfortable, and charge you less. The situation above is an exact equivalent of our Cabotage rule.

Our Indian ships are like those kali-pili  taxis. If you ask them - why they charge you so much for the shoddy services in those rust-buckets, they will point at Ports, Customs, Taxes and so on; exactly like the kali-pili  driver tells you about the high fuel cost, tolls, and the harassing cops etc. After all, we are Aam-Admi. We are supposed only to pay quietly. The State Government of Kerala finally understood and poked the Centre to have this funny rule waived only for Vallarpadam. We as users are happy  that it may happen after all. What happens next is some thing to be seen. We have gone past the stage of celebrating. The guys in the Government know how to mess up good things at the right time. I heard that the CISF did not allow the Customs guys to enter the Terminal. I was very happy to know that there is at least some one with the gumption to fix these unruly and corrupt thugs. Alas! The Terminal came to an unresisting halt. Without the permission of those elite &  powerful thugs, who sit at the border to loot - just like those Talibans at Khyber Pass, nothing moves. A separate entry for them had to be made.

Let's all hope that Vallarpadam happens. If the State Government is wise enough to keep a check on  our Customs' excesses, high port tariffs, high handling costs, idiotic Unions, and other Central inventions to sabotage a good thing as is its wont. We would see a handful of rays of hope shining on our industry, from our God's own country.

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Brgds

Capt Rath