John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Feb 09: The absence of security guards at Andaman Nicobar Islands’ ports, except Port Blair Haddo, Phoenix Bay Harbor Port, and others, has become a serious issue for both islanders and passengers. According to reports, earlier 27 private security guards were posted at all ports in the three districts of North and Middle Andaman, South Andaman, and Nicobar to ensure security. However, a senior officer of the Port Management Board Andaman has revealed that the contract with the private security company that was posted at the ports has recently ended, and despite the fact that they had informed higher officials, no positive result has been taken yet.
The safety of the ports is of utmost importance, and it is crucial for the Andaman administration to establish measures to improve security for ships and passengers. As ports are busy and vast areas, certain parts can be inaccessible for patrolling, leading to theft of cargo from containers. Port security can help solve these problems of inaccessibility and reduce cargo pilferage.
A senior officer of the Port Management Board told Andaman Sheekha daily that PMB is aware of the situation and has started the tender process for a new security agency. Meanwhile, to cover the duration until a new agency is hired, PMB has directly hired private security guards at Shaheed Dweep Port and Swaraj Dweep Port, as these two ports have maximum footfall. At other ports, PMB staff are on duty to monitor the ports.
