A passenger ferry service between Sri Lanka’s Jaffna and India’s Nagapatnam has resumed on August 16, with 50 passengers arriving in the maiden voyage, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.
“Future plans include the exploration of additional routes and services that will further expand connectivity and economic collaboration,” the Indian embassy said.
The ferry ‘Sivagangai’ run by a private operator, IndSri Ferry Services, completed the journey between Nagapattinam and KKS in approximately 4 hours, the embassy said.
The return tickets are currently priced around 35,000 rupees.
India is subsidizing the service providing around 25 million Sri Lanka rupees a month for a year to cover fees and operating costs and Nagapatnam port.
Sri Lanka has cut an embarkation tax on passengers.
“The resumption of this service underscores the commitment of both countries to strengthening bilateral relations through improved connectivity,..” the Indian embassy said.
India is also giving a grant of 63.5 million US dollars to upgrade Kankasanthurai Harbour in Jaffna.