DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Apr 21: Insufficient number of ferry vessels for Diglipur Islands has left people of the remote Island in distressed. Due to limited capacity in the presently available vessels dozens of passengers have to return back from the Aerial Bay jetty of Diglipur, totally disappointed and dejected.
From the last five to six years three speed boats, having a capacity of about 70 passengers are operated between Port Blair and Diglipur Islands. After the enforcement of the earlier orders of the Supreme Court on shutting down of ATR one more vessel M.V Daring was pressed into service but after some days it was also replaced by a speed boat and ultimately the service was withdrawn without any notice.
From the last two weeks M.V Pillomillow is plying in between Port Blair and Diglipur Islands and on 13th of April 2013 there were 18 such passengers who were in the jetty without tickets waiting to board the vessel and on 17th April 2013 the number increased to 41 but not even a single passenger without ticket was allowed to board the vessel by the Captain.
Some of the passengers travel from far flung areas to Diglipur to reach Port Blair and most of them could not buy tickets since they reached Diglipur after all the tickets were sold out. Usually tickets are either provided to them at the jetty or else inside the vessels, if available but in most of the cases passengers are allowed to board the vessel, considering the remoteness of the place but now things have changed completely against common man.
“Passengers reach Jetty in such a large number without tickets not because they are saving money but because tickets are not available at the counter and they have to depend on the mercy of vessel crew to board the vessels. Some of them beg to board the vessels because of urgency. The shortage is ticket is just because the Administration is not sending sufficient number of ferry vessels for Diglipur Island. If that is done all passengers will get tickets on time,” said an angry passenger.
Call it double standard or step motherly attitude, since last five years the number of vessels between Diglipur and Port Blair is almost same but the number of vessels for Neil and Havelock Islands has been increased manifold by the Directorate of shipping services. This is high time for Administration to send more vessels for the Diglipur Islands. Bigger vessels can also be chartered for this sector as the Administration has done in the case of the Southern Groups.
However, when contacted the Assistant Secretary of Diglipur Dr. Vivek Kumar has assured to look into this matter and talk to concerned authorities on Monday.
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