Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, July 30: After the sudden closure of the ATR stretch, which passes through Jarawa reserve area, without any prior intimation by the administration, many people got stranded at Baratang, although, after a lot of political and public pressure, one convoy was finally allowed to pass through Jarawa Reserve today at around 03:30 pm from Middle Strait, which came as a great relief for the stranded people at Baratang since yesterday.
However, no convoy from Ferrargunj/Jirkatang has been allowed yet, it is reported.
According to Angshuman Roy, State Vice President, BJP State Yuva Morcha, the political pressure and the warning of stranded people at Baratang of protests forced the administration to allow this convoy.
Meanwhile, it is reported that stranded people at Baratang were all set to hold a protest this afternoon after a senior officer of the administration who recently landed in these Islands from Delhi was allegedly allowed to travel through the Jarawa Reserve.
Stunned watching the senior officer crossing the convoy without any hurdles, the people stranded at the Baratang Island lost their patience as a result of which they sat on the road to protest.
Meanwhile it is learnt that this afternoon the Zilla Parishad Member of Baratang and also the Up-adhyaksh of North and Middle Andaman, Mr. R Alager Swami, Roy George, Pardhan Nilambur, Sathish up-pardhan, Anand Bengra (PSM), Manoj PRI member & others also sat on the road in protest with the stranded ATR commuter today at Baratang Jetty area.
The Up-adhyaksh of North and Middle Andaman, Mr. R Alager Swami had reached the Baratang Jetty to meet the stranded people after which he was approached by the stranded people to join the protest. Soon the decision to allow on convoy from Baratang was announced.
