State-owned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has invited bids for commencing a ferry service between India and Sri Lanka from January next year, a move aimed at encouraging tourism between the two countries.
This move comes in the wake of restoration of peace in the island nation after the fall of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
"Shipping Corp has issued Expression of Interest (EOI) for bids for the ferry service between Tuticorin (India) and Colombo (Sri Lanka)," sources in the shipping ministry told PTI.
Many shipping companies are likely to come forward for the same, sources said.
The proposal for starting this service was cleared by the Cabinet earlier this month. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed soon between India and Sri Lanka for providing a joint mechanism for passenger transportation between the two countries.
A committee has been set up, headed by the Shipping Ministry Joint Secretary Rajiv Gupta and his Sri Lankan counterpart to work out the modalities of the agreement.
A team of officials of the Shipping Ministry is likely to visit the island nation this month.
A similar service has also been proposed from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka.
"As far as the requisite infrastructure is concerned...Construction from the Sri Lankan side is expected to be completed by June," sources said, adding that the ferry service from that route may commence six months after the Tuticorin-Colombo route.
The ferry service is likely to be used for cargo as well.
The travelling time through the sea from Tuticorin to Colombo is approximately 10 hours and from Rameswaram to Thalaimannar is about three hours.
India currently has cargo operations from the Tuticorin Port to Sri Lanka.
The government is looking at investing about $20.8 billion in 276 projects to expand 13 major ports -- Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatanam, Cochin,Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin and Kandla in the country.
