Billyground: Villagers protest allotment of School ground for marriage functions:::Will administration bow to pressure of two journalists?

Trinath
Billyground, Feb 10: Bigotry in allotment of community halls for social functions and use the Billyground playground for marriage reception has lately become a cause of dispute for not only officials of the North and Middle Andaman Administration but for journalists alike.
While local of Billyground have been protesting against grant of permission for Billyground playground for marriage functions in the interest of students and ensuring proper sanitation in the premise, two local journalists have allegedly struck an under-hand deal to thwart the efforts of the gullible residents.
According to sources, a Billyground based reporter approached the Headmaster of Billyground School for issuing permission to utilise the school playground for his marriage reception scheduled on the 15th of this month. After villagers protested against the grant of permission for threat of insanitation and garbage accumulation, the top officials of the North and Middle Andaman administration initially assured necessary action.
Sooner, a lady of Billyground informed the matter to a Port Blair based Journalist, who too intervened into the matter and strongly urged the Pradhan, Harinagar and the DEO for not allowing the use of the school playground for private functions. But within hours the Port Blair based journalist, for reasons unknown, took a U Turn and latter started advocating in favour of the Billyground based reporter.
“Such illegal activities have become rampant in this region. Some self-proclaimed journalists instead of working for the society, have become devoted to individual interests. Under pressure from such groups, even officials of the local administration recommend use of school playground for private functions,” claim sources.
According to information, Billyground in Middle Andaman has two Community Halls – one each at Billyground Bazar and other at Jaipur (Korang Nallah) under Harinagar Gram Panchayat.
Though constructed for public benefit incurring lakhs of rupees, strangely just the Community Hall at Jaipur is allotted for marriage and other social functions. The community hall at Billyground Bazar, for reasons best known to authorities, is strictly reserved and never allotted for socials function. Failing to book the Bazar Community Hall, villagers often approach the Headmaster of Billyground School for obtaining permission to utilise the school playground for marriage function.
However since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Campaign, the trend has witnessed a sharp decline as villagers have committed themselves for the cause of school students and to ensure proper sanitation in the school premises.
However in the instant case, it remains to be seen whether the North and Middle Andaman Administration bows to the pressure to two journalists hand-in-glove for vested interests.