Sarthak Kanjilall
Port Blair, September 08: More than 50 residents of Shaheed Dweep Islands have reportedly got stuck in Port Blair for the last two-three weeks and are struggling to manage their show as many of them have now ran out of money.
For them all efforts to reach Shaheed Dweep went in vain as neither from DC Office nor from the Directorate of Shipping Services, they are getting proper response, regarding scheduling a vessel for Shaheed Dweep.
According to the stranded Shaheed Dweep residents in Port Blair, since last week they are approaching the DC South Andaman Office for their COVID-19 tests to travel to Shaheed Dweep in DSS vessel, which the office authorities allegedly refused to do, saying that the DSS has not yet declared the schedule.
“When we approached the DSS Office the authorities said that the Shipping Services is having sufficient vessels to carry passengers till Shaheed Dweep but they are waiting for the approval from the DC Office,” alleged Mr. Nibulal Das, who was stuck in Kadamtala post lockdown and now got stranded at Port Blair since a week.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr. Sukumar Das, former Zilla Parishad Member, Shaheed Dweep said that neither the South Andaman DC Office nor the DSS is taking the responsibility in this case.
Mr. Sukumar also alleged that the stuck people have informed him that they have no money to manage their show further in Port Blair and requested for immediate help.
Mr. Sukumar Das also questioned why the DC office has not sent the stuck passengers in the vessel that came to pick the college year students of various colleges for exams at Shaheed and Swaraj Dweep today?
The former Zilla Parishad Member of Shaheed Dweep has also written a letter to the Lt Governor and requested him to direct concerned authorities to make the arrangements for the stuck people to travel till Shaheed Dweep at the earliest. All efforts to reach the senior authorities of the Andaman administration for an official quote in this regard turned futile as neither officials of Shipping Services nor the District Administration of South Andaman were available for a comment.
