Staff Reporter
Port Blair, Jan 31: Last year the Andaman and Nicobar Administration had conducted a competition for designing an ‘Emblem’ for the Union Territory of A&N Islands.
Interested talented individuals, artists, professional designers and companies were asked to make sure that their design depicts the true character of A & N Islands.
Prizes of Rs.50,000/- Rs.30,000/- and Rs. 20,000/- for top three entries selected by a panel appointed by the Administration, were announced and the last date of the entry was fixed as 30 August 2011. Later the date was extended for nearly a month.
When the matter was advertised nearly 150 people including artists and other professionals submitted their entries. Some of these entries were simply superb and better than the emblem of other states, sources told Andaman Sheekha.
For this they had to work really hard to submit their entry as per the specifications of the Administration. Many had to spend a lot of money too to get their design printed from Mainland India in 30 X 30 Sheets.
But even after four long months the Administration is unable to finalise an emblem out of these 150 odd entries. Sources told Andaman Sheekha that out of these 150 entries, nearly 100 entries have been submitted by Islanders and rest by artists and other professionals of Mainland India.
“Whenever we go and ask for results no one gives us proper reply. Sometime they say the Director Tourism is keeping the file and sometime they say that the Chief Secretary is yet to take a decision. We are not only deeply disappointed for this delay but also have lost all interest,” said a local artist of A & N Islands.
Hope the Administration will soon take a decision and finalise an emblem for A & N Islands for which not only these artists but people of entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands are waiting.
