Sri Vijaya Puram, October 15: Strengthening inter-island connectivity and expanding vessel services to the mainland were among the key issues discussed as Lieutenant Governor Dr Dinesh Sharma reviewed the functioning of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 14.
The review meeting, held at Lok Niwas, examined proposals to increase the frequency of cargo vessel services and introduce new services connecting the islands with Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. The discussions focused on shipping operations and connectivity between the islands and major mainland destinations.
The proposed services and increased cargo frequency formed part of the deliberations on the corporation’s functioning, although the details of any final decisions or implementation timelines were not provided.
Dr Sharma also reviewed the functioning of the Excise Department at Lok Niwas. He held discussions with departmental officials on various activities and administrative matters concerning the department.
The two meetings brought together senior officials from the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to review the functioning of the shipping and excise departments.
Those present included Chief Secretary Gyanesh Bharti, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary, the Secretaries for Shipping and Excise, the Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman and other senior officers.
The review covered both maritime connectivity and departmental administration, with the shipping discussions addressing cargo service frequency and proposed links to three mainland cities. The source statement did not specify any decisions taken on the proposals or announce a schedule for introducing the new services.
Any expansion of cargo services or introduction of additional mainland connections would depend on subsequent decisions by the concerned authorities. No further details on the outcome of the review were provided in the official statement.
