With great Raax festival is just a week away and Majuli is expected to handle thousands of tourists, the much-fancied Ro-Ro Service of IWAI linking Majuli with the mainland has been out of service for five months.

The ChiefMinister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Ro-Ro festival October 11 last yearbut due to technical snag the Rs 10 crore vessel has been lying idle for past 5months,

TheRaas festival is scheduled to be held in Majuli for at least three days fromNovember 11 and thousands are expected to throng the island.

Thevessel christened as MV Bhupen Hazarika, which was built by the InlandWaterways Authority of India (IWAI) having a capacity to carry over 100passengers along with eight trucks each weighing 25 tones or 25 small vehicles,had considerably cut down the travelling time between the Brahmaputra islandand mainland Jorhat.

Thesteel-built vessel having a length of 46.50 meters and 13.30 meters breadth hasbeen lying docked at Nimatighat presently waiting for rectification of thetechnical defect.

AMajuli district source stated that the IWAI had entrusted to run the vessel,equipped with one main engine and two additional engines, to a private companybased outside Assam.

Majuli Deputy Commissioner Bikram Kairi informed that he had taken up the matter at higher-ups in Dispur and Government was in a touch with IWAI to repair the snag and resume the Ro-Ro service. The IWAI had also assured urgent help before the Raax festival.