Kerala Government To Introduce Passenger Ship Service To Gulf Nations As Affordable Alternative To Air Travel

The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala plans to introduce a passenger ship service between the coast of the southern state and the Gulf nations for Malayali expatriates in the Middle East who are compelled to pay excessive airline fees for their travels home.

According to state Port Minister Ahammad Devarkovil, a high-level conference held here on Wednesday (31 May) decided to create a strategy to launch a passenger ship service between Kerala and the Gulf.

The minister stated that during the holiday season, airline companies extort excessive fees from regular expatriates.

The project was planned, according to the minister, at a high-level meeting hosted by the Malabar Development Council and the Kerala Maritime Board.

According to Devarkovil, the government intends to establish the shipping service with the support of the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA), the official organisation of the Kerala ethnic diaspora.

In a Facebook post, the minister stated that the LDF government had budgeted Rs15 crore in this year's budget to address expatriate travel issues.

He stated that the plan is to launch the shipping service with this amount as well.

Kerala Maritime Board Chairman N S Pillai, CEO Salim Kumar, NORKA General Manager Ajith Kolassery, MDC President C E Chakunni, office bearers M K Ayyappan, Zubair, and others attended the meeting.