Mridul Podder
Port Blair, Jan 09: Hundreds of Students of Port Blair’s Boys’ Sr. Secondary School today blocked the Bengali Club-Goal Ghar road demanding playgrounds, Multipurpose Hall, access to canteen and various other basis facilities.
Students, alleging negligence from the side of Education Department, demanded immediate steps to fulfil their demands and sat on protest since nearly 6.00 AM in the morning. The protest disrupted normal traffic flow in Port Blair City, forcing the traffic police to deviate traffic to alternate routes.
Soon prominent members of Boys’ School Alumni and political leaders flocked the protest side with their support.
“The demands of students are genuine. Boys’ School, which is one of the oldest Schools of A &N Islands presently doesn’t have a playground, it’s campus has been encroached by other institutions. We have been fighting for this cause since last many years,” Mr. John Lobo, one of the prominent members of Boys’ School Alumni told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.
As protest gained heat, senior officers of Education Department of A & N Administration had to come down to the protest site for negotiation but students demanded a written assurance from Education Department.
“Students are not willing give up until and unless they get a written assurance from side of Education Department,” said Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, the lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who had also joined the agitation.
“They felt that they do not have some facilities in school and they raised voice for the same. The Education Department is assuring to fulfil their demands,” Mr. R Devdas the Director of Andaman’s Education Department told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today. The protest ended at 11.40 am when a written assurance was handed over to the students by the Director of Education.
In the letter of Assurance handed over to the students mentioned that the canteen of TGCE will accessible to the students of Boy’s School and the Principal of TGCE has been instructed to keep the gate between GDMS and Boys’ Sr. Sec School open.
The letter also mentioned that the commissioner –cum- secretary (Education ) has already instructed the APWD to remove the temporary structures and to develop the area as play ground. Assurances were also given for providing Multipurpose Hall to students and fulfilling other demands of the students.
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