Cruise denied anchoring at Gopalpur port due to expansion work

Bhubaneswar: The Gopalpur Ports Limited has clarified that the luxury cruise liner Silver Discoverer was not given permission to anchor at the port due to ongoing construction work as part of expansion.

“In line with its policy of international best practice in safety and security, shipping service firm JM Baxi and travel agency Travel Link were informed well in advance about the port’s inability to ensure passenger’s safety,” port’s corporate affairs and communications head Jagdish Chandra Rout said.

He said Gopalpur Port is under construction for a major expansion and over 1,000 workmen and significant onshore and off shore equipment have been deployed and continuous round-the-clock activity is underway.

Rout informed that the port neither has facilities nor is designed for passenger movement.

He said JM Baxi was advised accordingly to make safe alternative plans for the international visitors.

“Factors such as inadequate facility for safe landing of passengers, ongoing construction activities, and limited immigration facilities would have been unacceptable to port management as well Indian government and may have reflected poorly on Indian tourism,” he added.

Luxury cruise liner Silver Discoverer will be on a voyage to India, Bangladesh and Myanmar from Chennai on January 22. It will anchor in Odisha for the first time at Paradip Port on January 26.