Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar recently laid the foundation stone of the Rs 120 crore- MCMV (mine counters measure vessels) Command, Control & Design Office at Goa Shipyard Ltd, Vasco in Goa.

The defence ministry has entrusted the GSL for series construction of sophisticated and high technology MCMVs image to be built first time in the country with the help of foreign collaborator at a total cost of Rs 32,000 crore. The integrated command, control & design building will facilitate efficient and effective execution of technologically complex MCMV project.

With a built up area of approximately 19,500 square metres, the building incorporates ‘sustainable’ buildings features such as energy efficient features (green building), piling foundation for water front site and corrosion protection measures. The building is expected to be ready by 2018- end.

Parrikar said, “The reports of cancellation of MCMV project are not correct. Only a part of process, which is tendering process of ToT contract with foreign collaborator, has been retracted. This is not going to affect the project execution timelines as all. The project is very much with GSL and with Goa and this function is just an example of large scale preparatory work being done by GSL”.

The ongoing MCMV infrastructure augmentation at the shipyard will provide an additional capacity for concurrent construction of five MCMVs, in addition to separate capacity for concurrent construction of 14 steel hulled ships. This will provide multi-fold major fillip to the shipbuilding activities to the shipyard which has achieved several remarkable milestones in the last few years, with active support from the government and local administration.

The shipyard has delivered over 20 ships in last 4 years including 08 OPVs, 02 FPV and 11 FIBs which amounts to 32000 tonnes of shipbuilding.