R Kartik Raja & Vikramaditya
Mayabunder, August 19: The Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Chainpur, Mr. Johnson Kerketta, under Mayabunder Tehsil of North & Middle Andaman district, has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Andaman & Nicobar Islands on August 18, demanding the development of a new playground in Hanspuri village and soil filling in the school grounds of Chainpur and Bajota villages to make them suitable for playing.
In his letter, the Pradhan stated that nowadays, drug and alcohol abuse is spreading rapidly among the youth across Andaman, which is negatively affecting society, health, mind, and economy. In such a situation, if children and youth are provided with proper opportunities for sports, they can spend their time more productively and stay away from the menace of addiction.
He further informed that on the occasion of Independence Day (15th August), various sports competitions were organized in all the villages of the Panchayat. In Chainpur, Rangoli and Volleyball competitions were held; in Bajota, Football and Carrom; and in Hanspuri, a Football Tournament and Tug-of-War were organized. Students, PRI members, and villagers participated enthusiastically, celebrating Independence Day with harmony and joy.
The Pradhan emphasized that there is no shortage of sports talent in the villages. Referring particularly to Hanspuri, a cut-off village, he highlighted that the Government Middle School there currently lacks a Physical Education (P.T.) teacher. When a P.T. teacher was previously posted at the school, several students were selected to compete at the Port Blair level and performed commendably.
The Pradhan has urged the Education Department to appoint a P.T. teacher at Hanspuri school at the earliest so that the sports talents of children can be nurtured in the right direction and sports activities can help in making the villages free from drug abuse.
