Islanders irked at change in ship schedule

KOCHI: A group of Lakshadweep-bound passengers in the city are up in arms against the sudden changes in ship schedules. Islanders complain that the sudden changes in the schedule have been causing worries to passengers. “As per the ship schedule published for August, the vessel M V Lakshadweep Sea has been kept on standby to meet any urgent requirement owing to the cancellation of other ships. As per this schedule it is natural that the vessels should be used as a replacement for M V Kavaratti which has been cancelled from August 3 owing to engine trouble. However, the officials have not taken steps to operate M V Lakshadweep through the same route of cancelled vessel Kavaratti,” said C G Mohammed Alif of Lakshadweep Students Association.It has been pointed out that the M V Lakshadweep has been assigned a modified and cut-short programme through Kalpeni and Androth. “Due to the change in the route and schedule passengers to certain places are not able to use the ship service,” he said.The change is causing difficulties mainly to the inter-island passengers. Passengers who were waiting for M V Kavaratti at Kavaratti, Amini and Kadmath islands to go to Kalpeni and Androth islands on August 10 got held up. Finally the Port authorities were compelled to operate the same ship M V Laksahdweep in the same route. It has been pointed out that if the port authorities don’t take steps to undertake the pending schedule of MV Kavaratti, a lot of passengers, including students, would again be held up at Minicoy island.