Port Blair, Dec 06: Centre of Indian Trade Unions has demanded additional chartered flights between Chennai – Port Blair sector to clear the stranded passengers both at Chennai and Port Blair following the unprecedented rain and flood in Tamil Nadu.
In a letter sent to the Lieutenant Governor, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU, A & N State Committee has said that hundreds of people from Andaman and Nicobar Islands are stranded at various places of Chennai for journey to the islands. He said that passengers bound for Port Blair, stranded in various parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, are frantically approaching airlines for tickets for Port Blair, but there is no chance for getting tickets in any of the airlines. If at all ticket is available, it is with high fare which the common people and low paid employees cannot afford. The letter further said that patients undergoing treatment on the mainland hospitals and others who proceeded to mainland are unable to return to Port Blair. Similarly, hundreds of people who are urgently required to proceed to mainland are also stranded at Port Blair due to non-availability of flights. Unless the intervention of the A & N Administration, the stranded passengers, both on the mainland and in the islands, cannot proceed to their destination, Shri Chandrachoodan added. The flight operation from Chennai Airport has now resumed and some of the airlines will resume the services within one or two days.
Shri Chandrachoodan requested the Lt. Governor to take necessary steps to have some additional charter flights in the Chennai – Port Blair sector in order to clear the stranded passengers besides using your good office by taking up the matter with the Ministry nof Civil Aviation and other authorities in the Govt. of India to ensure availability of sufficient aircrafts for the purpose.
In the letter, CITU appreciated the time action taken by the Lt. Governor to rescue the stranded passengers from Chennai Airport when the Airport was flooded with water.
