The Lakshadweep Social Care Association was looking for steps to end the problems with acute connectivity between the islands and the mainland by expanding the fleet of ships available for this purpose.
The Association has expressed concerns in the “change of priority” of the Lakshadweep management over the last five years from the transport sector to the not priority, resulting in the islanders remain only a handful of boat for commuting.
The group of 10 inhabited and 26 uninhabited islands are located between 220 km and 440 km from the mainland, building the ships for the islanders. The Union’s government has made 24 passenger ships and freight transit from the mainland and also for international connectivity from 2000 to 2015. They included five weather ships, two fair weather ships and 10 high -speed weather vessels for international connectivity, all well -kept Lakshadweep Administration.
Shift in priority, alleged outages
It is advisable to note that the everyday life of the islanders revolved around regular ship services to the mainland. The administration took care of all the needs of travel and the expense of islanders only a few years ago.
Over the past four to five years, things have turned when the administration priority moved from the key transport sector to priority sectors. The industry was therefore left unattended – neglecting was particularly felt with maintenance, surveys and dry ships.
Due to these alleged administrative beds, the number of ships in operation decreased from seven to three in 2022 and two in 2025. Islanders are unknown.
Students, workers and medical patients
Those who have been affected by the insufficient number of ships include 2,500 odd students who monitor higher studies in Kerala and other countries. This excludes the number of children attending boarding schools in Kerala. Now they are imprisoned in Kochi and have gone without the idea of who to turn for help.
Moving the office of a school clerk who helped them in their academic needs – from Kochi to the island of Kavaratti – further influenced students from the islands, said LF Muhammad, Secretary of the Association.
In addition, unnatural workers and medical patients who have arrived in Keraly for treatment in special hospitals, along with their family members, cannot return to the islands due to acute lack of ships.
It disgusts things, most tickets for several existing ships are in bulk blocked for guests and tourists. Also, the Lakshadweep administrative agency was moved from Kochi to Kavaratti and left the stuck islanders clueless to whom to approach their complaints. Islanders are also influenced by the appointment of “political nominated” for administrators, the release said.
Published – May 11, 2025 17:38
