The resumption of the passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in India and the Kankesanthurai region near Jaffna in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka has been delayed again for an indefinite period, Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has said.

The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai (KKS) suburb of Jaffna district, which was to resume on May 13, was delayed due to a “technical shortcoming”, de Silva said on Wednesday.

The nature of the “technical shortcoming” was not revealed by the minister.

The service, launched in October last year after nearly 40 years, was halted a few days later owing to rough weather.

Since then, the resumption of the service, which is a vital component of India-Sri Lanka maritime cooperation, has been delayed three times.

India has also extended a grant assistance of USD 63.65 million — the entire project cost — to Sri Lanka to rehabilitate the Kankesanthurai Port in the Northern Province.

Situated in the northern region of Sri Lanka, the Kankesanthurai Port or the KKS Port, with an area of approximately 16 acres, is located at a distance of 104 kilometres (56 nautical miles) from Karaikal Port in Pondicherry.

The direct passenger ship service connecting Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kankesanthurai port near Jaffna covers a distance of 111 kilometres (60 nautical miles) in approximately three and a half hours.

The ferry service will be operated by a private operator, IndSri Ferry Services, selected by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL).

Source: PTI

State Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Development – Prasanna Ranaweera has admitted to assaulting a porter at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake, ‘Lankadeepa’ reports.

The State Minister had gone to the airport with his security personnel to see off his wife, who had gone overseas.

According to reports, the State Minister had also reprimanded security personnel who had opposed to the state minister’s security entering the airport premises with firearms.

Footage then showed him also assaulting the porter who had transported the bags of the State Minister’s wife. It is reported that the State Minister had given the porter only Rs. 700 when public notices at the premises clearly state a porter is to be paid Rs. 1000.

The victim had gone to the police to lodge a complaint in this regard but had been told to come on the next day as the OIC was not present.

However it is said that he had not returned to the police station.

(Source : Lankadeepa)

Several locations in Kandy city including the Kandy railway station have been inundated after heavy rains.

Kandy received over 100mm of rain after 2.00pm yesterday (May 16), leading to low lying areas of the city being swiftly inundated.

Irresponsible garbage disposal and illegal constructions are said to be major contributing factors.