Proposed Puthiyappa fishing-boat maintenance yard remains stalled

A proposed public-sector boat maintenance yard at Puthiyappa harbour in Kozhikode has not moved forward, leaving mechanised fishing-boat owners dependent on limited private repair facilities. The Harbour Engineering department had submitted a proposal estimated at ₹19 crore for an equipped maintenance yard. The Fisheries department had also supported the project and indicated that steps would be taken to speed up its implementation.

However, no field-level study or fund sanction has materialised, according to the supplied material. Fisheries officials said they had not received fresh communication about the project. Boat owners said the delay was particularly concerning because the Fisheries department is conducting fitness inspections of mechanised fishing boats for safety purposes.

In the absence of a government yard, operators depend on a small number of private facilities at Beypore. Major repairs often have to be sent to establishments in Kochi. The difficulty is more acute during the annual trawl ban, when Puthiyappa boat owners need permission to move their vessels to Beypore for maintenance.

Boat operators said those permissions are generally issued only a few weeks before the ban ends, leaving limited time to complete repairs and secure fitness clearance before fishing resumes. The proposed facility was intended to serve vessels from Kozhikode and elsewhere in the Malabar region, offering more affordable repairs and reducing dependence on distant centres. Fisheries officials said the boat owners’ demands would be referred to higher authorities.