John Wilbert
Port Blair, December 03: The National Cadet Corps (NCC) of India is playing a very crucial role in building the future of students and also preparing young minds for armed forces. But it seems the importance of NCC has not been duly realized by the Andaman and Nicobar administration.
In a shocking development the NCC units of Andaman and Nicobar Island recently got notice to vacate the NCC office, which were actually government quarters, within 3 days.
When the matter was taken up with the concerned authorities, after lot of discussions and confusions, the administration agreed to allot two alternative quarters for the naval NCC unit. Surprisingly the naval NCC unit, which was functioning in two Type V quarters at Prem Nagar has now been allotted two Type II quarters at Nayagaon area.
The problem is NCC unit have to manage huge stock of equipments, devices, utensils, Ship modeling unit, uniforms and other materials which are required for yearlong activities of NCC like Firing, Drills, Camps etc and hence the store room required for this purpose is almost equal to a moderate quarter.
Most importantly the alternate Type II quarters have been allotted in residential areas, where it will be difficult for NCC troops to gather or undertaker any kind of activities. The area is also said to be unsuitable even for the movement of NCC vehicles, which carry NCC cadets. Moreover, Nayagaon water tank area where these new quarters have been allotted, are in a cut off area, where a NCC cadet can’t reach easily in case of any need.
Sources told Andaman Sheekha that the Administration is presently planning to allot these type V quarters to some senior officers and hence NCC units are asked to vacate the quarters.
After tsunami when the area, behind Ayush Hospital, Prem Nagar, was consider a hazard zone nobody was willing to occupy these quarters and this quarters remained unoccupied for a long time.
Now when the area has become a posh area NCC units have been asked to vacate the government quarters without even providing a suitable accommodation.
Such act will certainly hamper the functioning of local NCC units, which will ultimately hamper the future of NCC cadets, many of who might become officers in Indian Armed Forces in future.
When contacted the Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman Mr Udit Prakash Rai said that the Administration is not asking the NCC unit to vacate but the NCC units are being relocated. However, notice copy available with Andaman Sheekha clearly says that the Administration asked naval NCC units vacate room within three days.
The DC said that Andaman Nicobar Islands are the only area in India where Navy Army and Airforce NCC units are given separate accommodations.
Hopefully Administration will soon realize the importance of NCC and relocate the NCC units only, if it is extremely necessary. In any case the NCC units, which are working for the students of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also for Nation Building, must be provided suitable place to operate.
Another crucial point is that long back a 0.16 hector of land at Dollygunj was allotted to NCC but the land was already encroached by some resident and RCC structure was erected. Even after several complaints, the land has not been vacated yet by the Administration, which shows how much our Administration is serious about welfare of NCC and NCC cadets.
The most important question is the administration must first decide whether NCC units, which shape the future of Andaman students, are important or providing accommodation to Senior Officers is more important.
