Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Nov 14: There was a time when Andaman and Nicobar Islands used to get officers, who used to understand problems of General Public and they used to take all decisions based on such public feedback. But today situation is other way round.
Mr. K Bharathy Kumar, a resident of Rangat got the sad news regarding demise of his father at Puducherry at 2.40 PM. He immediately packed his bags and took his family and reached Middle Strait as soon as possible with the hope that, his family will be allowed to cross the Middle Strait Jarawa Protection Post to reach Port Blair by night. His relatives meanwhile purchased tickets for the first flight to Chennai from Port Blair for tomorrow. Even tickets for connecting flight from Chennai to Madurai were also purchased as the body of his father is being brought to Madurai for cremation.
Sadly after reaching at Baratang, he was informed that his family will not be allowed to cross the ATR stretch from Middle Strait to Jirkatang after the last convoy.
Following this Mr. Mr. K Bharathy Kumar took help of senior PRI leaders of North and Middle Andaman, who contacted many senior officers of A & N Administration but even then his request was not heard. The Secretary AAJVS reportedly told one PRI member over phone that he has no power to allow people to cross the ATR stretch in such cases.
For tonight the family of Mr. K Bharathy Kumar has been given shelter in Baratang by the PRI members but he fears that he might miss his father’s funeral there is no surety about next connecting flight’s timing. One should also realize the amount of financial loss Mr. K Bharathy Kumar will suffer for rescheduling so many tickets of his entire family.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr. Alager Swami, the Up-Adhyaksh of North and Middle Andaman Zilla Parishad said that this is very unfortunate that Administration shows no mercy for sufferings of general public. “If rules have to be obeyed so strictly then station a vessel at Baratang jetty at night so that in such emergency cases people can reach Port Blair,” he said.
