Vice-president of Alang ship-breaking yard Rameshbhai Medpara said as per the rules only 11 persons can travel on the tug for inspection of a ship berthed at the dockyard. Till now only four members of the Customs and Central Excise Department used to be present on the tug along with the members other government departments, a representative of the ship seller and a couple of representatives of the ship's buyer, he added.

The Customs and Central Excise Department is now insisting that they will send 11 of their members on the tug for checking the ship. But this leaves no room for the others, Medpara said. Demanding the ouster of Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Rajkot, Maheshkumar Bhada and setting up of an independent inquiry against him, the Association is alleging the move is deliberate. A five-member delegation of ship-breakers, headed by their president Jivrajbhai Patel, is in Delhi to present their case before Yashwant Sinha.

GCCI letter
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry has drawn the attention of Union Minister Yashwant Sinha to the plight of shipbreaking units and alleged that the situation has been created by the uncooperative attitude of Central Excise and Customs offficials in Rajkot.