DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, April 27: With barely few days left for the summer vacations to commence, the fear of being left stranded looms large for teachers and non-teaching staff of several schools across these islands. According to reports, agencies like the Transport and Shipping Department made no special arrangements to operate additional buses and boats to ferry teachers and other staff from their places of posting from May 1 and limited number of transport services has triggered panic among the staff of being left stranded for days.
Taking a commendable step, the Lt. Governor of these islands had declared the Summer Vacation for the year 2016 in the month of December last year for all Government, Private, Aided and Unaided Schools of A & N Islands in a single spell from May 1 to June 29.
But despite the prior announcement, not a single additional STS bus service has been announced to ferry teachers and other from their places of posting on May 1. Recent road mishaps involving private bus operators have added to the woes of the teachers ahead of the vacations as bus tickets have already been sold out in advance. Even the Directorate of Shipping Services is yet to announce additional voyages by passenger ships for the benefit of the teachers from different parts of these islands. Mostly importantly looking at the shortage of vessels in shipping services any such announcement is also unlikely.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the Lt. Governor declared the summer vacations well in advance, the failure of the transport agencies have left teachers and other school staff dejected. Many of whom have purchased tickets to visit mainland early in the month of May now dread of being left stranded at their respective places of postings due to the shortage of transport services. Neither the Transport Department nor the Shipping Services announced additional services for the benefit of teachers. The Shipping Department should immediately announce a couple of trips by bigger passenger vessels from places like Diglipur, Mayabunder, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay so that teachers and non-teaching staff are not left stranded. The Transport Department should also operate additional buses from different parts of the North and Middle Andaman region,” said some teachers speaking to Andaman Sheekha.
