Confusion and chaos continue to prevail in preparations for the Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG). About 25-30 ships carrying heavy equipment, like tower airconditioners, tents, and other such materials for CWG 2010 from South Africa and Australia, are reportedly stuck on the high seas. The ships were expected to arrive some time during August 15.
Two ships carrying such containers also “lost their way” and moved towards Karachi, Pakistan. According to sources, both ships have now been located and are being brought to Indian ports. The sources added that the two ships lost their way because of a diversion in certain shipping routes following the oil spill from the MSC Chitra in the Arabian Sea along the Mumbai coast.
Meanwhile, around 250 containers carrying heavy equipment have already arrived at different Indian ports and have also got customs clearance.
“The majority of the containers have arrived in Delhi. However, the equipment has not been offloaded so far due to shortage of storage space as well as continuous rain in the city. It is not possible to offload the equipment when there is heavy rain,” sources said.
They added, “Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar recently instructed all the agencies concerned, including customs and other revenue intelligence wings, to expedite the process of granting clearances to the containers.” However, authorisation letters from the CWG Organising Committee for customs clearance are mandatory, the sources said, adding that customs clearance for 15 containers is pending in the absence of authorisation letters from the OC.
“Now the delay is on the part of the OC. Customs officials cannot give clearance without an authorisation letter from the OC. Nearly 60 ships carrying containers waited several days at different ports in the country in the absence of the OC’s letters,” the sources said.
According to a recent Central government notification, the OC, or Prasar Bharati, as the case may be, will have to apply to customs for a no-objection-certificate (NOC) or permission to amend the import documents for including themselves as the importer in place of the contractors, vendors or sub-vendors. This application will be accompanied by a NOC from the importer on record (contractors, vendors or sub-vendors of OC & Prasar Bharati, as the case may be), the sources said.