BJP tries the sea route to voters’ hearts

DAHEJ/GHOGHA: On October 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘gifted to the country’ the Ghogha-Dahej Ro-Ro (roll on and roll off) ferry service across the Gulf of Cambay (Khambhat).

The intention behind hastily launching the incomplete Rs 650 crore project, which has missed umpteen deadlines in the last decade, was clear. The BJP wanted to showcase this project to lakhs of voters from

Saurashtra

who have migrated to

South Gujarat

but need to keep coming back to their native places

In his campaign trail at most places, Modi has made the project a talking point and how it has cut the travelling time between Saurashtra and south Gujarat from 8-10 hours to just one hour by sea.

"Gone are the days when people from Saurashtra used to go sleepless in buses to Surat," he recently said at a public rally in Kadodara near Surat. In Bhuj, he talked about starting a similar ferry service that would take Kutchis to Surat and Mumbai.

Koli strongman and fisheries minister Parshottam Solanki, who contesting from Bhavnagar (rural) seat said, "Ghogha comes under my constituency. We are going to strongly showcase this project in all our campaign rallies. The ferry service will boost Bhavnagar’s economy and ultimately benefit the people."

His rival Congress candidate, Kanti Chauhan, however said that the actual purpose of the project was to make goods transportation easy by carrying trucks. "This is still in a limbo and there is no clarity when it would done, He said.

D K Manral, chief executive officer of Indo Seaways, the project operator, said, "Since the inauguration, the occupancy has been between 45% and 75%. Weekends are more crowded. We also are operating connecting bus services from Surat and Bhavnagar to the two ports."

At present, the service is offering two round trips a day. Tickets – which cost Rs 500 one way - are available online, with travel agents and over the counter. The vessel has a capacity of 233 persons and is fully air-conditioned, carpeted and equipped with toilets and other facilities.

Paan shop owner from Bhavnagar, Mahesh Lalwani, who was headed to Dahej, said, "I had seen boats and ships in films but this was the first time I got a first-hand experience. The fare is not important, because it works out the same as a bus, but the time saved is very important," says Lalwani.

Most passengers TOI spoke to were excited and there was a picnic-like atmosphere at the terminal and the jetty with plenty of selfies taken. Many passengers said they had never taken a sea route.

Ramesh Kantaria, of Kuda village near Ghogha, is in the diamond polishing business. "the timings should be such that people can reach Surat during market hours, finish business and get back the same day."

Gautam Mehta and nine members of his family landed in Ghogha from Dahej. "Everything on board was good. My only grouse is that in Dahej there are no signboards pointing to the jetty. It took us an hour to find it."