Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will flag off four newly-constructed ferries of Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department on Thursday at Kamalabari ferry ghat in Majuli.
The Majuli-based ferry service lacks adequate number of ferries of the department as a result the people of the river island have to depend on private ferry vessels.
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The present Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Sonowal, who is also the local MLA, has been making extra efforts to develop the infrastructural facilities of this new district.
“Out of these new four vessels, one is 28 metre long steel catamaran built at a cost of about Rs 2 crore which will carry more than 150 passengers apart from four vehicles and five motorbikes at a time. The other three vessels are also constructed keeping an eye on the specific requirements of ferry passengers,” stated a Government press communiqué.
IWT director Bharat Bhushan Dev Choudhury said that more such vessels would be placed at Majuli in the future. One Ro Ro vessel is slated to be operational from October between Neematighat and Aphalamukh of Majuli which will facilitate movement of trucks and passengers at the same time.
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During his visit to the Majuli district, the Assam Chief Minister will also lay the foundation stone of an Amenity Centre at Kamalabari Ghat in presence of Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary with gender and disabled friendly facilities.
Chief Minister Sonowal will also flag off a vessel for a new ferry service between Ahotguri and Misamora which will benefit about 10-12 thousand people who have to travel now via Dergaon, Jorhat, Neematighat to reach the district headquarters at Garmur for simple official works, it added. With the inauguration of new service the people will be able to reach Garmur within a shorter duration.
Apart from the new vessels one RPL has been refurbished to carry JCB and dumpers to Majuli from Jorhat side and it will also be placed into service by the Chief Minister on Thursday.
It may be mentioned that social and environmental impact study is being carried out by the IWT to develop and modernize the IWT sector with World Bank assistance within a period of five years.