No Objection If Aircraft Carrier Viraat Bought By Another Firm: Centre

The vessel was towed into the shipyards of Gujarat’s Alang in September (File)

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Mumbai: 

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Union government to decide on a private firm’s request that decommissioned aircraft carrier Viraat be handed over to it, so that the ship could be converted into a museum.

While the warship is awaiting dismantling at a ship scrapping yard at Alang in Gujarat, the Union government said it had no objection if the petitioner bought it from the bidder who purchased it for scrapping.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Milind Jadhav was hearing a petition filed by Mumbai-based Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd, seeking a direction to the Union Ministry of Defence to allow it to buy Viraat.

The company wanted to convert the ship into a maritime museum and multi-functional adventure centre, the plea said.

The HC said that the relief sought by the petitioner was a matter of policy.

“Even if INS Viraat is to be converted into a museum….necessary permissions are required to be obtained. It would thus be appropriate that the Ministry of Defence takes a suitable decision,” it said.

The petition said that Viraat was the oldest serving warship in the world when it was decommissioned.

“Such a carrier is being sold as scrap by the Union government instead of converting it into a maritime museum. The petitioner has filed an application to the government in July seeking its No Objection to take possession of the carrier and convert it into a museum,” it said.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh said the ship is 67 years old and was lying unused since 2015.