In order to recover the dues owed by the owners of the Korean vessel MV OSM Arena, the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) sought the permission of director general (Shipping) to auction the vessel.
As on date, ChPT has been claiming the amount for the rescue services provided during Cyclone Thane to the vessel; pilotage charges for bringing it inside the port and anchorage charges from February 11, 2010. The daily berthing charges is about Rs 93,000.
In December 30, 2011, OSM Arena lost one of its anchors when it was hit by cyclone Thane and the vessel was pushed towards the shore. ChPT officials salvaged it by anchoring it 3.5 miles from the coast and at a depth of 22 meters.
It is learnt that ChPT approached the Calcutta High Court to recover its dues. ChPT was asked to recover it as per law and hence the vessel was docked in JD-6.
According to reports, the vessel owner owes over Rs 2.32 crore to the port. Currently, the Korean vessel with single anchor is berthed in ChPT’s Jawahar Dock as a precautionary step to prevent it from colliding with other incoming vessels in view of the forthcoming monsoon.
The vessel has been anchored since February 2010 as cases have been filed by different parties against the owners in Calcutta and Madras High Courts to recover their dues. As the owners failed to settle the claim, arrangements are being made to recover it by auctioning it after obtaining due permission.