Vikramaditya & Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, July 29: Sudden stoppage of convoys of ATR that too without giving any reasonable time to ATR commuters has resulted in chaos and sufferings. Hundreds of people are struck at South Andaman and also in N & M Andamans.
Following sudden spike in Corona cases in the Islands, the decision of closing all the convoys of ATR from Jarawa Tribal Reserve to North and Middle Andaman came yesterday evening by the Andaman administration, however, it seems that the administration took this decision forgetting that Hundreds of people are struck on the both side of the Jarawa Reserve area with and without vehicles.
Some cargo truck drivers who left with huge cargo a week ago and after completing the consignment were supposed to leave back to Port Blair today got stuck in the Baratang Island. “Neither I have money to have food in the hotel nor a place to stay in the Baratang area, also, we are not provided with any kind of support by the administration,” said Haridas Mondol a resident of Tushnabad, a cargo truck driver by profession.
“I am a small contractor by profession and came Baratang after the Assistant Engineer asked me to come and get the bill for the work I have done for the panchayat, now I am Baratang and I can neither move to Mayabunder nor Port Blair, I request the administration to make arrangements for my traveling to home,” said Mr. Rakesh Pal, currently stuck at Baratang.
The misery of the common man doesn’t end here, due to this sudden decision of the administration, the businessmen who purchased and transported their vegetables, fish et cetera to sell in the Port Blair market suffered loss as it didn’t reach the market on time.
Meanwhile, the sudden decision of restraining the convoys without any prior information by the administration has been termed “senseless” by the Ex-Bharatiya Janata Party, President of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Vishal Jolly.
“I strongly lodge my protest against the partially senseless imposition of lockdown and restraining of convoys without any prior notice which has left many stranded at various Islands, especially North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar District,” Mr. Jolly mentioned in his tweet this afternoon.
The Updhayaksh, North and Middle Andaman Zilla Parishad has also written a letter to the Lt Governor today and requested him to make arrangements for bringing back around 300 people stranded in Port Blair and vice-versa.
