Staffs of private truck stage protest against an employee of PMB

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 16: More than hundred private Truck workers staged protest in front of Haddo Gate Number 4 Thursday morning, against an officer of Port Management Board, Mr Sapan Kumar Majumdar.
As per the reports, Mr Sapan Kumar Majumdar, Wharf Superintendent allegedly slapped a Private Truck Driver, Mr Peer Mohammed for apparently smoking a ‘Bidi’ inside the cargo loading area.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr Peer Mohammed said that yes he was smoking inside the jetty loading area and when he was seen by the Wharf Superintendent, he apologized to him for smoking inside the jetty, but even after apologizing the wharf superintendent slapped him. “When I asked him that why did he hit me, he asked me to go and register a FIR,” Mr Peer said.
Mr K Ganeshan, Legal Advisor, Andaman Nicobar Truck Van Association who came to support the protest said that he wants end the issue with compromise and he has already informed the wharf superintendent to come and solve the matter, “If he does not come then we will go and register an FIR against him,” Mr Ganeshan said.
It is learnt that when Mr Majumdar didn’t reach for talk, Mr Peer Mohammed registered an NC FIR against him. Later Mr Majumdar then came to the Chatham Police Station.
However, talking to Andaman Sheekha, the Chief Port Administrator, Dr R D Tripathi said that as per the information he received the Wharf Superintendent had an argument with the Private Driver who was under influence of alcohol and was also smoking inside the loading area.
“The Department will inquire into the matter and if it is found that the private driver was smoking in the area than we will certainly cancel his entry pass inside the jetty, because in the last two months we have gone through two fire incidents just because of such kind of carelessness of these people,” CPA said.
Later this afternoon, Andaman Sheekha learnt that the matter ended with compromise between the two parties.