Port Blair, Mar 20: The hungers strike of local CDC holders is continuing despite of the fact that the Director of Shipping Services has issued a press note today in local media.
In an statement issued to agitating CDC holders of Andaman, who are demanding seniority wise enrolment of unemployed CDC holders in Administration Company Roster and engagement of local Crew in Andaman Administration vessels viz MV Nicobar, MV Akbar, MV Harshavardhana, the Director of Andaman’s Shipping Department, Capt. Rajinder Kumar has said that the Directorate of Shipping Services has already taken up the matter with the SCI requesting them to employ local crew members from the existing roster maintained by the DSS. He added that this issue is also being followed up at higher levels in the Administration with the SCI and Ministry of Shipping.
“As and when SCI concurrence is received these additional vacancies will be available for the local CDC holders,” Capt Kumar said.
The Director said that as far as the first demand of the CDC holders is concerned, the existing number of vacancies in the three rosters as of today stand at 216 and there are approximately 400 local CDC holders (357 in the contract list maintained by the Directorate and about 40-50 estimated local CDC holders in the open market waiting for a job) who are aspirants to be part of the regular rosters maintained by the Directorate.
According to Director as per law an examination is necessary for selection of 216 candidates but agitating CDC holders are opposing the same.
“The demand of the CDC holders in its present form cannot be accepted as it is discriminatory against a faction of local CDC holders (freshers) as it would leave these candidates out of contention without even providing them with an opportunity to compete,” the Director mentioned.
The CDC Holders of Andaman started their agitation on 17th February 2016 at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazaar and after one week they started their relay hunger strike on 26th February, which is continuing till today.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Shipping Services, A&N Administration has requested all the CDC holders to cooperate in resolving the issue in an amicable, fair and transparent manner.
Meanwhile talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr. R Sanjay Kumar, leader of agitating CDC holders today said that they are not satisfied with the press note of Director of Shipping.
“The clarification so published in the Daily Telegrams on March 20 is nothing but an attempt to mislead and misguide,” Mr. Sanjay said.
Meanwhile some experts related to shipping believe that best solution to this problem will be to think of six month Roster of 400 CDC holders against 216 posts , which will mean atleast six month job for all the CDC holders presently available in Andaman. However this arrangement might be not acceptable to those who will clear CDC in coming years.
