Nishar Mohammed & Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, June 24: South Andaman Zilla Parishad Member Mr. V.K. Abdul Aziz has urged the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to extend the last date for submission of applications for Group-C recruitment posts, citing delays in the issuance of OBC and EWS certificates. Addressing a press conference, Mr. Aziz said that he recently met the Chief Secretary and submitted representations regarding two important public issues affecting unemployed youth and residents of Ferrargunj area.
He stated that many candidates applying for Group-C posts are facing difficulties in obtaining OBC and EWS certificates due to delays in the revenue offices. As a result, several eligible candidates may be deprived of the opportunity to apply for government jobs. Mr. Aziz said that he requested the Chief Secretary to extend the application deadline by at least 10 to 15 days so that deserving candidates can complete the necessary formalities.
According to him, the Chief Secretary reportedly assured that the matter would be examined sympathetically if the issue was genuine. Mr. Aziz expressed confidence that the Administration would take a positive decision in the interest of unemployed youth of the islands.
The Zilla Parishad member also thanked the Administration for addressing the issue of the absence of a Tehsildar at Ferrargunj Tehsil. He said that several students and residents had been facing hardships due to the non-availability of the officer, particularly those requiring certificates and documents for medical referral cases and recruitment purposes.
Mr. Aziz said that he, along with his team members had visited the tehsil office after receiving complaints from the public. He stated that a large number of students and applicants had gathered there and were facing inconvenience due to the absence of the Tehsildar. He added that a road blockade protest was also organized to draw the Administration’s attention to the issue, following which the appointment of a Tehsildar was made.
The second issue raised before the Chief Secretary was regarding the non-renewal of the licence of the mini petrol pump in the Ferrargunj area. Mr. Aziz said that the closure of the outlet has been causing severe inconvenience to residents, who have to travel nearly 12 to 13 kilometres to Bamboo Flat merely to purchase fuel.
He informed that he had earlier addressed a press conference on the issue and subsequently submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary seeking immediate intervention. According to him, the Chief Secretary immediately contacted the concerned Deputy Commissioner during the meeting and directed that a meeting be convened to discuss the matter.
Mr. Aziz said that he has been informed that a meeting has been scheduled and expressed hope that a positive solution would emerge, bringing relief to the residents of the area.
Appreciating the public grievance mechanism introduced by the Administration, he stated that the Chief Secretary’s daily interaction with the public between 3 pm and 4 pm has been yielding positive results and helping people get their issues addressed.
