Ganeshan & John Wilbert
Port Blair, Dec 15: The Baratang Tourist Fiber Boat Owners’ Association of Middle Andaman called off its eleven day long protest this evening after the Andaman and Nicobar Administration earlier today adjusted the timing of three convoys of Andaman Trunk Road, through Jarawa Tribal Reserve, from Jirkatang to Middle Strait as per the convenience of Tourists and also increased the number of vehicles in each convoy to 150.
From now the timing of three convoys of Andaman Trunk Road, from Jirkatang to Middle Strait will be at 0730 hrs, 0900 hrs and 1400 hrs. The order will come into force from tomorrow.
After the order was issued a meeting was held by the members of BTFBOA and the decision to call off the protest was taken.
“Today we have decided to call off our protest as the Andaman and Nicobar Association has fulfilled our demands,” Mr. R Senthil Kumar, President of Baratang Tourist Fiber Boat Owners Association told Andaman Sheekha today.
Earlier, on December 05, 2021, the Baratang Tourist Fiber Boat Owners Association (BTFBOA) began an indefinite peaceful protest at Baratang Jetty to press various long pending demands of the Association but since 12 December 2021, the BTFBOA decided to stage relay hunger strike.
Fighting for some genuine demands, the BTFBOA were demanding to reinstate the Convoys between Jirkatang & Middle Strait as it was before Covid-19 pandemic; removing limit of vehicles in each convoy, which is restricting tourist footfall in Baratang Island; Revoking the mandate of taking 1-day prior permission from concerned Deputy Commissioners of South and North & Middle Andaman; expediting the process for registration/renewal of our fiber boats; one-time Registration of Fiber Boat at DC Office Mayabunder; withdrawing berthing charges on discarded vessels; Two separate lines at Ferrargunj for Covid Test one for passengers with single vaccine dose and one for double dose and to conduct Covid test for Middle Andaman visit one day ago.
