Port Blair, Dec 09: The excellent performance of the artists of Ferargunj School in the Skit Competition got them first prize in the state level competition, conducted by the Adult Education Cell of Directorate of Education, few months back. Being the best team in the UT, the team was obviously chosen to represent Islands in the regional level competition to be held at pune on 15 December this month. The child artists were waiting for the tour anxiously as this was the first ever occasion for the students of rural areas of South Andaman. But their dream of performing at the regional and National level shattered when the department declared that the competition is cancelled.
It was a shocking news for the students. Many teachers from the school approached the Directorate asking the reason for cancellation yesterday, but could not get any justified answer. In fact the sources say that this has been the result of the carelessness of the DEO. The officer was in deep sleep and he could not process the file on time and suddenly when he awoke then he found that the ship has already sailed on 6th December by which the students could have been sent. So to save himself from the fury of the senior officers, he simply kept silence. When some of the teachers approached yesterday to know the reason he simply said that the competition has been cancelled. The Panchayat Samiti Member of the Ferrargunj area Smti Anima Roy after hearing this, called the principal and asked about the reason today, who in reply said that the decision of cancelling the tour was taken at the higher level and she did not know the reason. The furious member then rang up the Deputy Director Dharmendra Kumar, who said that he is unaware of the facts, but he would talk to the concerned officers and find out the details.
The Zila parishad Member Shri Gopal Das, while talking to media said that the Ferrargunj village has been adopted as the model village under ‘Saansad Aadarsh Gram Yojna’, and some officers of the Education Department could not digest this. So they snatched off the opportunity of the innocent village students. Shri Das said that justice must be done with these children and he would intimate the Hon’ble MP about this. He said that the department should make arrangement to send the team immediately and stern action should be taken against the concerned officers, so that nobody could dare to play with the sentiments of the innocent children in future.
