Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 07 May 2024
The Chairman of the ANTCC Campaign Committee, Mr. TSG Bhasker, has raised apprehensions regarding the insufficient number of ships operating between Port Blair City and Car Nicobar Island, citing significant hardships faced by travellers and government officials.
Mr. TSG Bhasker, Chairman of the ANTCC Campaign Committee, has penned a letter to the Director of Shipping Services expressing distress over the limited availability of sailings between Port Blair and Car Nicobar. According to the letter dated Monday, Mr. Bhasker highlighted that only two sailings are scheduled for the month of May – on the 9th and 23rd of May 2024 – a frequency he deemed inadequate for meeting the needs of travellers, particularly during the peak summer vacation period.
The scarcity of sailings, as stated by Mr. Bhasker, has resulted in considerable inconvenience for both the general public and government servants, especially those requiring travel between Car Nicobar and Port Blair. He emphasized the heavy demand for tickets due to the shortage of ships, exacerbating the challenges faced by travellers.
“This kind of curtailment is happening very regularly during the peak requirement time. This acts as a detriment for Government Servants to take charge of their posts in far-flung areas because whenever they have to travel, they find great difficulty in getting tickets,” remarked Mr. Bhasker.
Moreover, Mr. Bhasker highlighted the critical role of ships in facilitating transportation for patients from Car Nicobar to Port Blair. He noted that while helicopter tickets are often unavailable, patients are left waiting for several days, leading to potentially fatal consequences. In such circumstances, ships serve as the sole means of transportation, making the lack of regular ship services a significant concern that warrants immediate attention from the Department.
In conclusion, Mr. Bhasker urged the authorities to address the deficiency in ship services promptly to alleviate the hardships faced by travellers and ensure the efficient transportation of patients and government personnel between Port Blair and Car Nicobar.
This development underscores the pressing need for enhanced maritime connectivity to address the transportation challenges faced by residents and government officials in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.