September 23, 2020: A day after India and Maldives jointly launched a Cargo Ferry Service between the two nations,a cargo ship M V MCP Linz made its maiden call here on Tuesday. The inaugural India-Maldives service was accorded a formal reception at Cochin Port, a Port Trust spokesman said. In a brief felicitation ceremony, Port Trust Chairman M Beena exchanged a plaque with the Captain of the vessel to commemorate the maiden call.
P K Mohammed Yousaf, Commissioner of Customs, Cochin was the guest of honour at the function. The event was attended by Deepak L Aswani, FICCI state co-chair Krishna Kumar, president, Cochin Steamer Agents Association, Alan Jose, president, Cochin Customs Brokers Association, representatives of vessel agents and other dignitaries, he said. The vessel will sail for Maldives after loading containers and break bulk cargo from Cochin. M V MCP Linz, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India, has a capacity to carry 3,000 TEUs and 3000 MT dry bulk/break-bulk.
The service will connect Tuticorin Cochin Maldives ports once in a fortnight. Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Republic of Maldives Aishath Nahula had jointly launched the Cargo Ferry Service from India to Maldives through video conferencing on Monday. This brings to fruition the commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Maldives in June 2019 to start a direct shipping service between Maldives and India, connecting the ports of Tuticorin and Cochin, a Port Trust statement said.
It said the direct India-Maldives services offers tremendous opportunities to the members of the EXIM trade in Cochin/India to tap the potential of the Maldives market. Marine products, construction material, tiles and ceramics, food grains, pulses, flour, vegetables, edible oil, meat products etc are some of the areas of huge potential for Indian exporters, the statement said.
Source: Outlook India
