Kerala - Kozhikode   

Ship brings cheer to workers

Kozhikode: mv Sahmy, a ship made in Poland, has reached the ship-building yard of Steel Industries Kerala Limited (SILK) at Beypore bringing cheer to the company workers who have been out of work for a long time and kindling hopes of revival of the State’s only public sector ship-breaking unit.

The ship, made in 1971, and now owned by Master Shipyard in Ernakulam, is being scrapped as it is too old to be put out into the sea to transport cargo. It would take nearly 45 days to break up the tanker. The work is expected to start in a week.

It is after a gap of 14 years that a ship is arriving at the ship-breaking yard.

SILK’s ship-breaking unit, established in 1980, had run into the red and was on the verge of closure. Its workers had to be transferred to other units of SILK. With the arrival of the ship, the company management would bring back the employees who are now posted in other units.

The arrival of the tanker is part of a renewed attempt by the LDF government to revive the SILK unit. More ships are expected at Beypore in the coming months. The sanction accorded by the government to State Water Transport Corporation to build two passenger boats has also given a boost to the hopes of revival of activities at the SILK unit.

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