Trawl boat fire destroys three mercantile ships; huge loss estimated

[email protected] (CD Network,Photos by Ahmed Anwar)

March 13, 2011

Mangalore, March 13: In a bizarre incident, four vessels caught fire at Kasba Bengre under mysterious circumstances on Sunday afternoon creating panic among the fishermen and local residents.

The fire that started at around 3:15 pm, on board a trawl boat pulled ashore for repairs, spread to three mercantile ships parked alongside.

The mishap completely destroyed two mercantile ships named 'Musthafa' and 'Abbas' owned by Kunnhi Koya, from Hamaimi in Lakshadweep and TK Ahmed Haji from Kavaratti, Lakshadweep respectively, while another mercantile ship 'Hashmi Madath' owned by a Kolkata based businessman and trawl boat 'Karavali' owned by local entrepreneur Hameed Bengre have been partially destroyed.

Two of these mercantile ships (Abbas and Mustafa) operated towards Lakshadweep and the third (Hashmi Madath) towards Kolkata. The trawl boat was being used for local fishing operations off the coast of Mangalore.

The owners of the 'Abbas' and 'Mustafa' claimed that they have suffered an estimated loss of Rs 50 lakh each, while the owners of Hashmi Madath and trawl boat put the estimated loss at Rs 25 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively.

People at the ship yard, said they saw the fire blazing up to five meter high. However six fire extinguisher vehicles from Pandeshwar, Kadri and NMPT responded quickly, and the fire was brought under control within a half an hour, said a senior police officer.

Panambur police circle Inspector Valentine D'Souza along with a team visited the spot and began an investigation into the fire tragedy.

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No more agency jobs? Karnataka panel pushes for end to job outsourcing by 2028

News Network

November 21,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 21: The Karnataka government is facing pressure to overhaul its employment system after a high-level Cabinet sub-committee recommended the complete phase-out of job outsourcing in government offices, boards, and corporations by March 2028. The move is aimed at tackling a systemic issue that has led to the potential violation of constitutional reservation policies and the exploitation of workers.

The Call for Systemic Change

With over three lakh vacant posts currently being filled through private agencies on an outsource, insource, or daily wage basis, the sub-committee highlighted a significant lapse. "As a result, reservations are not being followed as per the Constitution and state laws. It’s an urgent need to take serious steps to change the system. It has been recommended to completely stop the system of outsourcing by March 2028," the panel stated in a document.

The practice of outsourcing involves private companies hiring workers to perform duties for a government agency. Critics argue this model results in lesser salaries, a lack of social security benefits (otherwise available to permanent government employees), and a failure to adhere to the provisions of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination.

The 'Bidar Model' as a Stop-Gap Solution

To regulate the current mode of employment and reduce worker exploitation until the 2028 deadline, the government plans to establish workers’ services multi-purpose cooperative societies across all districts, following the successful "Bidar Model."

The Bidar District Services of Labour Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd., which operates under the District Commissioner, is cited as a successful example of providing a measure of social security to outsourced staff. Labour Department officials argue this society ensures workers receive their due wages and statutory facilities like ESI (Employees' State Insurance) and PF (Provident Fund), in exchange for a 1% service fee collected from the employees.

legislative push and Priority Insourcing

The recommendations, led by the sub-committee headed by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, are set to be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting. The committee has proposed the introduction of the Karnataka Outsourced Employees (Regulation, Placement and Welfare) Bill 2025.

In a move addressing immediate concerns, Labour Minister Santosh Lad, a member of the sub-committee, has reportedly assured that steps will be taken over the next 2-3 years to insource workers in "life-threatening services" on a priority basis. This includes essential personnel like pourakarmikas (sanitation workers), drivers, electrical staff in the Energy Department, and Health Department staff handling contagious diseases. The transition aims to grant these workers the long-term security and benefits they currently lack under the outsourcing system.

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