The central government would refund 80 per cent of the sanctioned amount and the state government would bear the remaining 20 per cent, the chief minister said at Pandu Port here.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Bank for a Rs 770 crore loan for river transportation in the state. The central government would refund 80 per cent of the sanctioned amount and the state government would bear the remaining 20 per cent, the chief minister said at Pandu Port here.

The catamaran vessels were launched under a World Bank-funded project to integrate high-quality passenger and vehicle ferry services into the state’s wider transport network system, the chief minister said. Assam’s culture and civilization have been nurtured by the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers and their tributaries but they also pose communication challenges for people living on the banks, Sarma said.

After the Majuli boat accident in September, the state government has taken an aggressive approach to make river transportation more hassle-free and secure. Out of the four vessels, two will ply over the river Brahmaputra at Majuli and one each in between Guwahati-North Guwahati and Uzanbazar -Umananda ferry ghats.

AIWTDS

Out of the four vessels, two will ply over the river Brahmaputra at Majuli and one each in between Guwahati-North Guwahati and Uzanbazar -Umananda ferry ghats.

The newly launched vessels have the capacity of carrying 100 passengers and 50 two-wheelers and are powered with 180 HP twin engines which can travel at a speed of 10 knots forward speed. The vessels have advanced equipment such as control and monitoring, communication and navigation, GPS, wind measurement, lifesaving, and firefighting equipment.

Among the four vessels, two will provide service over the river Brahmaputra at Majuli and one each in between Guwahati-North Guwahati and Uzanbazar -Umananda ferry ghats. These new vessels can carry 100 passengers. The vessels have high-level equipment such as monitoring, communication and navigation, GPS, wind speed, lifesaving, and firefighting tools.

Sarma also launched an e-ticketing system for the Umananda ferry service which will enable tourists to pre-book their tickets and thereby help in the management of ferry operations. This is the second e-ticketing initiative for ferry services. The first such facility was introduced on the Jorhat-Majuli route and the government has earned a revenue of Rs. 26 lakh since its launch on September 27.  

The chief minister also asked the department to introduce the same-ticketing service in all ferry ghats of the state.

Inland Water Transport

The chief minister also asked the department to introduce the same-ticketing service in all ferry ghats of the state.