Sri Vijaya Puram, July 3: The President of the Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), Shri Rangalal Halder, has urged the Director of Shipping Services, A&N Administration, to introduce a regular direct ship service between Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and Katchal Island to address the long-pending demand of the peoples of Katchal Island.
In his representation, Shri Halder highlighted that the people of Katchal Island have been facing immense hardship due to the absence of a direct ship connecting the island with the capital. At present, passengers are compelled to undertake long and inconvenient journeys through connecting islands, resulting in unnecessary delays, inconvenience, and additional financial burden. Senior citizens, students, patients requiring medical treatment, government employees, traders, and the general public are among those who suffer the most because of the lack of direct sea connectivity.
Shri Halder further pointed out that the absence of a direct shipping service has adversely affected the timely transportation of essential commodities to Katchal Island. The supply of food grains, medicines, construction materials, and other daily necessities often gets delayed, causing inconvenience to the island’s residents.
Emphasizing that sea transport remains the primary mode of connectivity for the islanders, Shri Halder stated that the introduction of a regular direct ship service between Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and Katchal Island would significantly improve passenger convenience, ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, facilitate trade and commerce, reduce travel time and transportation costs, and strengthen the socio-economic development of Katchal Island.
Shri Halder has, therefore, earnestly appealed to the Director of Shipping Services to sympathetically consider this genuine and long-pending public demand and take immediate necessary steps to commence a regular direct ship service between Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) and Katchal Island at the earliest in the larger public interest.