Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 17 May 2022
Mr. E S Rajesh, Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti, Campbell Bay and District President, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nicobar District has written letters to the higher authorities of Andaman and Nicobar Administration, explaining to them the shipping related problems of the general public of Great Nicobar Island.
In one of his letters, Mr. Rajesh informed the higher authorities regarding the problems being faced by the general public because of the infrequent shipping service between Port Blair and Campbell Bay. He informed the higher authorities that before the COVID-19 pandemic at least 4 to 5 ships were scheduled for Campbell Bay in a month, but now the shipping services are very infrequent.
He further mentioned that a considerate number of people are unable to secure tickets during each ship sailing, which is a cause of concern. He also added that many people are losing their hard-earned money as they are unable to reach Port Blair on time for their onward flights to the mainland.
He also highlighted the problems being faced by the merchants due to the infrequent shipping services. Mr. Rajesh requested the authorities to at least schedule four sailings between Port Blair and Campbell Bay every month. He also requested that the schedule for the full month be released in advance for the convenience of the general public.
Mr. Rajesh also demanded the scheduling of ships between Port Blair and Chennai via Campbell Bay. He informed the higher officials that a large population of Great Nicobar have roots in the South Indian States and during summer vacation people visit their native villages and towns. He also mentioned that it is both expensive and time-consuming for people to travel to Port Blair and then to the mainland. He further added that in April one ship was provided for Chennai via Campbell Bay and many people anticipated that another sailing will be scheduled in May, but no sailing has been scheduled yet.
He requested the authorities to schedule the sailing of ships between Port Blair and Chennai via Campbell Bay during the summer vacation months for the convenience of the general public.
Mr. Rajesh also requested the authorities to allow cargo in ships between Port Blair and Chennai via Campbell Bay, so that the farmers especially coconut farmers can send their produce to Chennai to fetch a better price, as no market is available in Great Nicobar Island for their produce.
While speaking to Nicobar Times, Mr. Rajesh further mentioned that the general public of Nicobar District has to go through a lot of trouble to travel from Port Blair to their respective Islands. He added that only the residents of Nicobar District have to undergo RTPCR testing to travel home, whereas, the residents of other districts are freely travelling to their respective destinations without any hassles. He further added that the procedure for availing tickets to travel to the Islands in Nicobar District is very complex and many passengers face a lot of inconvenience due to the process. He requested the administration to do away with the compulsory RT-PCR testing for travelling to Nicobar District and requested them to start issuing tickets in advance from the STARS Ticketing Counters.
Mr. Rajesh also requested the officials of the Administration to deploy good vessels in Port Blair – Campbell Bay route as the journey is long and people face inconvenience in travelling by ships like M.V Kalighat, which doesn’t even have proper air circulation in its cabins and bunks.