‘Bhut-bhuti’ service suspended across Assam river system

Guwahati (Assam), September 11, 2018:

Assam’s Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Tuesday said no mechanized country boats (bhut-bhutis) would be allowed to ply on the river in the entire river system of Assam until further order.

During a review meeting with the officials of Directorate of Inland Water Transport, he said all single-engine ferries should be converted to double-engine ones with reversible gears.

“As per safety norms, there must be one life jacket for each passenger in the vessel and it will be mandatory for each passenger to put on the life jacket while boarding the vessel,” he said. He further instructed that the Deputy Commissioners shall conduct safety audit of the ferry vessels within their respective districts.

The Minister also took stock of the World Bank funded project preparation and the reform measures initiated during the last one and a half year. The World Bank funded project will address the sector reforms holistically, for which ‘Inros Lackner’ – the German-based consultants – have submitted the inception report and the vessel design and terminal design are being readied.

The Transport Department has been working on a Regulatory Bill for the last six months and the ‘Assam Inland Water Transport Reorganization Act’ is ready to be placed before the Assam Legislative Assembly during the forthcoming session for approval, he said.

“The Act will facilitate the setting up of a separate Regulatory Authority and separate port and shipping management companies, taking into the considerations of the recommendations of the Khosla Committee Report submitted in 2013,” he said.

The Minister directed that capacity building of IWT staff and other stakeholders must be enhanced on a war-footing. He lamented that adequate attention on fleet modernization was not given in the past for which vessels operating both under IWT and private operators turned old.