Staff Correspondent
Neil Island, Apr 04: The tiny Neil Island has become the latest victim of unplanned and corrupt form of modernisation. The tiny Neil Island, which is 7 km in length and 2 km in width, still do not have a branch of any Nationalised bank but the Island is blessed with as many as four bars.
As there is no nationalised bank residents of Neil Islands are facing bagful of problems everyday. Even for preparing a Demand Draft one has to remain dependent on someone at Port Blair and in worse case they have visit Port Blair personally.
Same day money transfer to any other account in mainland India and vise-versa, is presently impossible.
Most importantly the Island doesn’t even have any ATM. Naturally with local residents, visit tourists are also facing a lot of difficulties in the virtually Isolated Island. Tourists, especially foreign tourists do not carry hard cash and this is the reason why they often find them in soup.
Sadly, to add to misery of residents of Neil Island, the district administration has given permission to as many as four bars, a few of those are operating very close to the Govt. Sr. Secondary School, Neil Island.
On one hand due to total negligence of administration the Neil Island doesn’t have crucial and necessary facilities while on the other hand the administration has ensured social destruction of the Island by giving licence to so many bars, which are open often frequented by teenagers.
