It was flagged off by the Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan at Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin on Monday. The service initially will operate twice-a-week between Colombo and Tuticorin and vice versa. The ferry service will improve cultural tourism and business relations between the two countries.
The ferry service across the Palk Straits was first started by noted nationalist VO Chidambaranar or VOC way back in 1907 between Dhanuskodi and Talaimannar in Lanka.
It was cancelled in 1964 when a super cyclone destroyed the Dhanuskodi port, after which it was shifted to Rameshwaram. It was operational till the early 80s when the civil conflict between the Tamil rebels and the government worsened.
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Tuesday asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to suspend the service, saying her government was not consulted on the issue.
Submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister New Delhi, copies of which were released to the media in Chennai, Jayalalithaa said the ferry service has been resumed at a most inopportune time.