Bureau Report
Port Blair, Jan 03: Hundreds of tourists came back from Junglighat Jetty this morning totally disappointed when boat operators refused to take tourists to Historic Ross Island.
The boat operators today decided not to take any tourists to Ross Island to express their protest against charging of Port Charges of Rs. 100 by Andaman Nicobar Command.
Boat operators argue that when they are already paying port charges to PMB why they should pay Port Charges to ANC while the ANC is said to be adamant that they won’t allow tourist boat to berth at Ross Jetty without Port charges.
Sadly the tourist boat operators found it convenient to express their protest only when Tourist Season is in full swing in Andamans and Hundreds of tourists are reaching to Junglighat Jetty everyday to visit Ross.
While tourists who have bookings in private chartered boats and speed boats are able to visit Ross because speed boats have no issues with port charges, tourists who have bookings in bigger boats today had to come back totally rejected from Junglighat Jetty.
Tour operators are the worst sufferers as they had to face the anger of tourists. Many tourists are now demanding refund.
Meanwhile a meeting with the CO of INS Jarawa, Director of Tourism and Boat Operators today reportedly ended with no results.
“We will not operate boat until and unless the ANC stop charging Rs. 100 from us as port charges. We had asked them to charge Rs. 35 from Tourists instead of Rs. 30 to manage the amount but they rejected the proposal,” said Mr. Bharat Sharma the President of Andaman Boat Operators Association.
However the Director of Tourism, who is clearly finding it too difficult to manage this crisis, says that ‘All Is Well’.
“Everything is under control. Today as the sea is rough, the boats did not operate. The problem has now been sorted out and as tomorrow is off day for Ross visit from 5th Jan, boat will operate regularly,” said Mr. Amit Anand, the Director of Tourism Department.
Meanwhile the local tour operators are now demanding direct intervention of Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary in this regard as such confusion will certainly bring bad name for Andaman Tourism.
“Why can’t DSS operates one boat daily for tourists from Junglighat Jetty to Ross? This will solve the entire problem and Private Boat Operators won’t be able to arm-twist the Administration by troubling tourists,” questions a tour operator.
Others demand action against those who trouble tourists for their own financial gain. “Stringent action must be taken against those who trouble tourists for own financial goals as such act will ruin the total tourism industry of Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” said another tour operator.
