Panaji: RTI activist Sudip Tamankar has revealed that the Goa government paid over ₹7.76 crore to Vijay Marine Services for hiring two Ro-Ro ferryboats, Dwarka and Gangotri, while the total revenue earned from the two ferries was only ₹74.32 lakh.

According to the information disclosed by Tamankar, the government earned ₹74,32,729 from the operation of the two Ro-Ro ferries between July 2025 and March 2026. However, the amount paid to Vijay Marine Services for hiring the ferries from July 2025 to February 2026 stood at ₹7,76,92,512.

Tamankar alleged that after deducting the revenue earned, a burden of ₹7,02,59,783 has effectively fallen on the taxpayers’ pocket.

He further pointed out that in February 2024, the cost of constructing one new ferryboat called Dudh Sagar was ₹1,10,04,000. Based on this cost, the amount spent from the public exchequer on hiring the two Ro-Ro ferries could have been used to construct at least six new ferryboats for the state.

Tamankar questioned the financial logic behind hiring ferries at such a high cost when the same expenditure could have helped Goa create its own ferry infrastructure.

“This is a serious issue involving public money. Instead of spending crores on hiring private ferries, the government could have built new ferryboats and strengthened the state’s ferry service permanently,” Tamankar stated.

The RTI disclosure has raised fresh questions over the Transport Department’s decision-making, financial prudence and long-term planning in ferry operations. Tamankar has demanded that the government explain why such a large amount was paid to a private service provider despite low revenue generation from the ferry service.