The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ferrying devotees for a song

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ferrying devotees for a song

S. Harpal Singh

Arjunagutta fishermen stand out for facilitating river crossings at a concessional rate during Pushkarams

Helping hand: Devotees being ferried across Pranahita at concessional rate during the Pushkarams at Arjunagutta in Kotapally mandal of Adilabad district.

ADILABAD: Large heartedness, as in the original Indian way of life, survives among the boatmen of Arjunagutta in Kotapally mandal of Adilabad district where the Pranahita Pushkarams are on. These fishermen stand out for facilitating river crossings at a concessional rate thereby demonstrating the way arrangements should be made for a mega event like Pushkaram.

Gagguri China Lacchanna owns three of the four country boats that ferry devotees across the Pranahita between Arjunagutta and Sironcha village located on the opposite bank in Maharashtra. He charges Rs. 10 per passenger per trip while his counterparts at Kaleshwaram in Karimnagar district, about 3 kms down the stream, charge a trebled Rs. 30 for a one side crossing of the river.

Facilitators, including transporters like auto drivers and passenger jeeps, are going in for a killing during the Pushkarams. Even the State owned APSRTC charges 50 per cent extra on the normal fare for the specials being run during the period.

“I am not inclined to take advantage of the situation,” observes a modest Lacchanna as he talks about missing the chance to earn more. “As the devotees come from distant places, it is not fair to extract more money from them,” he adds, as he gives the reason on the need to be fair during such fairs. The boatmen from Arjunagutta and Sironcha charge a fare of Rs. 20 per head when the river is in full flow and the expanse of water extends to both the banks. In winter and summer when the flow and width of the river are reduced, these boatmen reduce the fare by half.

Lacchanna says he does not feel the need to hike the ferry fare as the quantum of his business during Pushkarams has brought good earnings. “Normally, we ferry about 150 passengers but now as many as 2,500 people cross the river daily,” he says. Mechanisation of the country boats has enabled ferrying of as many as 50 passengers per trip. Professionals from Kakinada have fitted diesel engines in the boats.

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