VIJAYAWADA: The keel-laying ceremony of two 50-tonne bollard pull tugs, ‘Balram’ and ‘Veeran’ out of a series of four, being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam for the Indian Navy, was conducted on November 15, a HSL press release said on Friday.

Keels for both the tugs were laid by senior workmen of HSL in the presence of Rear Admiral (Retd) LV Sarat Babu, HSL chairman and managing director, senior officers of the Indian Navy, Classification Society and senior officials of HSL. Keels for the next two tugs of the series will be laid by end—November.

The tugs with a length of 34 metres and breadth of 11 metres are capable of developing 50-ton bollard pull and can operate at a speed of 12 knots. “The yard is putting in all efforts to float two tugs by March 2020 i.e. 13 months from signing of the contract and deliver the same by August 2020,” the release said.