Port Blair, Dec. 6: The Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration to address the issue of ticket shortage being faced by Islanders.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Member of Parliament mentioned that the availability of tickets allocated under the Islanders’ quota for Islanders travelling to and from Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep has become increasingly inadequate.

The MP further said that tickets for almost all vessels are fully booked well in advance, sometimes even two days before sailing. This has forced our fellow Islanders to resort to paying exorbitant amounts for tickets in private ferries, which are priced 8 to 10 times more than the Islanders’ fare in DSS-run vessels.

Considering this issue the Member of Parliament proposed an increase in the reserved seats for Islanders to double. “This will ensure that even on the last day, an islander in urgent need of a ticket to visit Shaheed Dweep or Swaraj Dweep or return, can obtain one at the Islanders' fare from Port Blair,” he added.