Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Damaged boat engines to be repaired free of cost

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, FEB. 8. Greaves Cotton Ltd., a leading manufacturer and supplier of light diesel engines, will repair all the 128 boat engines damaged by the tsunami free of cost, its general manager (marketing), Mohanjit Singh Walia, announced here recently.

Earlier, the company had charged concessional rates on spares, but on the request of the fishermen, it agreed to do it for free.

On the occasion, the District Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, handed over about 20 engines to the fishermen, repaired by the company. Later, Mr Walia told The Hindu that the company, a part of the B.M. Thapar group, was a leader in light diesel engines for boats, by holding "100 per cent market share."

Greaves Cotton manufactures two lakh engines a year at its two units in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu and Aurangabad. Of the total production, 95 per cent were automotive engines, and 5 per cent of assorted varieties, including boat engines.

It was producing 3,000 boat engines in four categories — 6, 7, 9 and 10 hp — a year, and the demand was mainly for the 7 and 10 hp engines.

After the tsunami strike of December 26, 2004, it decided to repair the damaged engines at relief camps in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts.

New service centre

Mr. Walia said the company had sent eight service mechanics to Cuddalore who worked round-the-clock to set right 50 engines so far.

A new service centre (an extended arm of the company) has been set up here.

Asked about the demand for boat engines in the post-tsunami period, Mr. Walia said there was a noticeable drop in the demand.

However, he said, because of the Government scheme for the fishermen, the demand might increase for the new engines.

He said the engine market was highly dependent on the Government, for the tax structure had its impact.

In Tamil Nadu, the boat engines attracted a 12.6 per cent sales tax, higher than the rates prevailing in Orissa (four per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (12 per cent).

Mr. Walia appealed to the Government to waive sales tax on the engines.

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