Port Blair, June 18: The Member of Parliament, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Hon’ble Lt. Governor to consider leasing/hiring two tugboats on a short-term contract for at least 3 to 4 years.

In a letter addressed to the Lt. Governor he said that due to constant efforts of the Lt. Governor, two new ships MV Nalanda and MV Sindhu recently reached Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

He said that the absence of a tugboat has resulted in new ships such as MV Nalanda and MV Sindhu, being unable to dock at Car Nicobar Jetty.

He pointed out that at present in most of the cases MV Bharat Seema is sent for Car Nicobar, which not only lacks modern amenities for passengers but is also slow. Passengers endure significant hardships during their journey from Port Blair to Car Nicobar due to these unfavorable conditions.

The Member of Parliament further said that even at Port Blair, ships face challenges in operating efficiently due to the lack of sufficient tugboats. This has led to the necessity of requesting tugboats from the Indian Navy or facing delays in ship arrivals and departures.

He added that as per the Secretary of Shipping, construction orders for new tugboats have been placed but the process of procurement and construction can be time-consuming, spanning several years.

To address this critical issue promptly, he requested the Hon’ble Lt. Governor to consider leasing/hiring two tugboats on a short-term contract for at least 3 to 4 years.

“By doing so, the people of Car Nicobar will have the opportunity to benefit from the services of  new ships MV Nalanda and MV Sindhu, along with other vessels. Moreover, this initiative will significantly contribute to the smooth functioning of the food supply chain and various maritime operations,” he added.