Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 13 April 2022
Ship Ticket Advance Reservation System (STARS) Ticketing Counter at Campbell Bay is currently functioning at the mercy of the local staff. The counter which should ideally open every day, on time, is kept shut and is only opened when the ship tickets to and from Campbell Bay are being issued.
This morning hundreds of residents gathered near the STARS Ticketing counter at Campbell Bay to buy tickets for travelling from Campbell Bay to Port Blair, only to find out that the ship tickets will not be issued today. Some residents queued up at the ticketing counters as early as 2 Am.
The irony is that there is no one posted at the counter to answer the queries of those seeking tickets. The staff did not even visit the counter once to inform the passengers about the date on which the tickets will be issued.
STARS was conceptualised so that those seeking ship tickets for any sector could buy it from any counter located at any corner of the Islands, as well as from counters located in the mainland. The whole motive of conceptualising and implementing the STARS goes in vain if the counter is kept closed on all days, except when the tickets for the local ship sector is issued.
Proper operationalisation of the STARS Ticketing Counter at Campbell Bay is necessary for the convenience of the general public. Residents of Great Nicobar are demanding that the staff posted at the STARS Ticketing counter should be disciplined by the authorities of DSS and more staff should be recruited and posted there for the convenience of the general public.
Nicobar Times spoke to some PRI Members of Great Nicobar, who informed us, that even the Panchayats are not informed about the date of issue of tickets because of which the residents have to go through a lot of inconveniences.