CHENNAI : The long-awaited passenger ferry service between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to commence operations on Tuesday (October 10), around 12 years after the plan was first mooted and a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries.
The ferry will operate between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The transit time is expected to be three hours.
The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) will operate the ferry service. “The service would offer an excellent opportunity for the people of India and Sri Lanka to make a low-cost trip to Jaffna and Tamil Nadu,” an SCI document said.
The vessel to be used as the ferry is called Cheriyapani. The price of a ticket is yet to be revealed, but passengers will be allowed to take luggage weighing up to 40 kg for free. The ferry can accommodate 150 passengers, said Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works E V Velu, who added that the state government was closely associated with the service.- indian express pix courtesy Hindu