JOIN US “If needed, the Ministry will immediately organise to dispatch more ships to Libya to bring the Indians back home safely,” Shipping Minister G K Vasan said on Saturday.
At the External Affairs Ministry’s request, the Ministry had already diverted one passenger vessel, ‘ MV Scotia Prince’ with a carrying capacity of 1,000 persons to the Libyan waters.
It is a Greek vessel that was coming down to Tuticorin in South Tamil Nadu, Vasan said.
The Minister was speaking to reporters after inaugurating three projects crucial for the long-term sustainability of the Chennai and Ennore Ports, here. The projects include Rs 1,655-crore Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Link Road Highway, Rajiv Gandhi Dry Port at Sriperumbudur and Rs 170-crore Capital Dredging Project at Ennore Port. The merchant vessel diverted to Libya would be used for ‘shuttle services’ to transport Indians from various ports that are close to cities like Tripoli and Alexandria. Then from the latter destinations, the Indian citizens would be air-lifted to India, the Minister added.
Naval presence
Since the Ministry of External Affairs wanted more ships to be deployed for evacuating Indians from Libya, three ships of the Indian Navy have also been sent, Vasan said, adding that the entire operation was being coordinated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indian Mission in Libya. In all, at least 18,000 Indian nationals have been affected by violence in Libya.