DJ Venkatesh & Sarthak Kanjilal
Diglipur, April 19: The Director of Shipping Services, Andaman & Nicobar Islands always remains in the news for all wrong reasons and this time poor administrative management in North Andaman region has once again brought the Shipping Services in news.
The residents of Diglipur, which is having second highest population in these Islands, are finding it very difficult to book their ship tickets for other Islands and mainland from Diglipur’s DSS shipping Counter.
According to reports, the staffs of DSS Ticket Counter of Diglipur are running their show with only one single outdated computer system as the another system is non-functional since more than one year, which was sent to Port Blair for repairs. For this reason the ticket issuing system at Diglipur is badly hit, forcing public to stand in long queue for several hours to get a single ticket.
“Many times, even after standing in long queue since morning for tickets, at last the staffs declare that no tickets are available. Now I have no other option than travelling in pathetic ATR buses to reach Port Blair,” said a Government Teacher, on the condition of anonymity.
It is the vacation time and even after knowing that at this point of time most of the people will travel to mainland, the basic facilities inside the ticketing counter has not been upgraded by the DSS authorities, public allege.
Apart from aged computer, the Air-condition unit is also not working since last nearly three years. The existing computer is also reportedly does not have proper backup power supply. Public allege that whenever power goes off, the computer takes more than 20 minutes to re-start, public allege. During this period the tickets are sold off by different STARS & CSC counters and people standing in queue had to go back empty handed.
Out of two CSC counters of Digliur region one is situated at Diglipur bazaar, where people alleges that there is no guarantee of ticket availability as the counter issues very few tickets for which in the CSC counter, one has to deposit money in advance.
Another counter is 34 Km away from the Diglipur bazaar, from which the operator usually issues tickets for other Islands apart from Port Blair.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted the Deputy Director, DSS, Mr R Veeraih, he said that the DSS is in the process to upgrade the computer system with upgraded software in all their regions in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and thus the department did not repair the computer system at the DSS counter of Diglipur.
He further said that the DSS has also done alternative arrangements so that the people won’t suffer. “There are 02 CSC centers nearby the Ticketing Counter where the people can buy the tickets,” said Mr Veeraih.
He informed that the process of tender is on for up-gradation of software in Computer System and repair of computer and very soon the computer of DSS ticketing counter, Diglipur will start its function smoothly. Regarding the Air Condition, Mr Veeraih said that it would be soon repaired as it came to his knowledge now.
