Two boats owned by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) have been lying at anchor for repairs for nearly two years.
DTPC sources said the government order, which is required to sanction funds for repairing the boats, has not yet been issued. The boats — ‘Raja Kesavadas’ and ‘Karumadikkutan’— were purchased six years ago for Rs. 64 lakh.
The boats, able to accommodate 50 persons each, used to ply the Alappuzha-Kollam route, a much sought after service for tourists.
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‘Karumadikuttan,’ anchored at Ponjikkara near the dockyard of the State Water Transport Department here, is almost in a state of ruin. ‘Raja Kesavadas,’ anchored near the DTPC office near the boat jetty, is also in a pitiable condition.
With the 60th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, a major tourist attraction, on the horizon; the boats should have been repaired and brought back to operate services.