Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Dec 03: Shortage of medicines for pet animals in the lone Veterinary Hospital in the city has left animal-lovers in distress. The head count of pet animals in the city is going up constantly; but pet owners are enraged over the inefficiency of the Veterinary Hospital in treating the animals.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha, a number of animal lovers said that every time they approach the Veterinary Hospital at Goal Ghar for treating their pets they are handed out the response that the hospital doesn’t have medicines for treatment.
“Amid such situation in the Veterinary Hospital, pet animal owners are forced to purchase medicines from private shops at exorbitant rates. Even technicians remain unavailable at the hospital to attend to sick pet animals. To add to the woes, majority of the equipments in the Veterinary Hospital have been left defunct. The Veterinary Hospital at Goal Ghar is crucial for thousands of pet owners in the city and the administration should ensure adequate stock of medicines, technicians and equipments in the hospital,” lamented several pet owners.
Responding to the concern, the Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Dr S Shiv Kumar said that the Department mainly focuses on farm animals. However, in the current tender process, the Department will try to ensure procurement of adequate medicines for pet animals, he assured.

Sarthak Kanjilal

Port Blair, Dec. 03: Senior Officers of Traffic Police Unit today visited the Ratnam Market area this morning to find possible solution for the Traffic Congestion, witnessed in the area on daily basis.
During the visit a team of traffic police conducted a drive against traffic congestion.
The Superintendent of Police, Traffic Unit, Mr R K Pandey, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic Unit, Mr Mohd Umar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, South Andaman, Mr Mohd Aslam visited the area and discussed various ways to ease the traffic congestion.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, the Superintendent of Police, Traffic Unit, Mr R K Pandey said that there is an empty space behind the Ratnam Market and a play ground, behind State Bank Evening Branch, which belongs to Local Born Association (LBA).
He said that these two places could be used as parking place for time being and soon the Traffic Police Unit is going to take up the matter with the Municipal Council and will also discuss it with the LBA.
“Paid Parking will also be a very good step to control the traffic congestion. Traffic Police Unit or Police alone cannot control the traffic, the support and co-operation of the public is also necessary,” Mr Pandey said.
Traffic Congestion on the road stretch between Ganesh Temple and Ratnam Market is not a new issue. Due to encroachment of footpaths and presence of hawkers on the footpath the pedestrians are forced to walk from the road, which is the main reason behind traffic jam in the area. Sadly the PBMC, which should have been working on the ground to solve the problem is seen no where today.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, December 02: The Secretary Education, Mrs Tanvy Garg today assured that the salary of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan teachers of Education Department will released in a few days.
Recently it was highlighted by Andaman Sheekha that the teachers working under Sarva Siksha Abhyhan were not paid salary since last three months after which the Lt Governor, Andaman & Nicobar Islands himself intervened into this matter and ordered immediate release of salary from Administration’s fund.
But teachers allege that even after more than a week the Education Department has not released the salaries of the teachers yet. A ground of SSA teachers yesterday called Andaman Sheekha and said they are planning a protest if they don’t get salary before December 7,2015.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted the Secretary Education, Mrs Tanvy Garg, she said that the process is underway and the salaries have already been sent to all the concerned DDOs and within a few days the salaries of the SSA teachers will be released.

DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Dec 02: Mr. Senthil the famous actor and comedian who reached Andaman on 29th Nov., today reached Diglipur along with his wife Kalaiselvi. After reaching Diglipur he visited the Ross & Smith Islands and Mud volcanoes at Sham Nagar.
Earlier he visited Murugan temple at Rangat. Speaking to Andaman Sheekha Exclusively he said that he acted in 1376 movies. He also acted in two Hindi movies. One of them is ‘Phool Bane Angarey’.
He has acted in many popular movies with several of the leading actors and comedians in the south Indian cine industry. He usually appears in films with Goundamani in a slapstick double act.
Together they have formed a comic pair in many Tamil movies.
The members of Tamizhar Sangam Diglipur welcomed him at Subhashgram Panchayat Hall. Large number of people visited to have a glimpse of him.

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Dec 2: A firm prohibition imposed by the Central Vigilance Commission in the year 2008 notwithstanding, purchase of counterfeit printer toners from unauthorised agents in the islands continues unabated in the Electricity Department.
The UT Administration too, in the year 2011, issued an advisory to all Departments to purchase computer and IT accessories like Toners from OEM authorised suppliers or dealers. But a unit of the Electricity Department allegedly places direct supply orders to a firm, which is reportedly not an authorised supplier of Lexmark products in the islands.
According to some suppliers of IT products, one Executive Engineer (HQ) of Electricity Department routinely floats tenders for supply of Toner Cartridge for Lexmark X264H11G (High Yield Print) Printers.
“But in violation of the instructions of the Govt. of India, bids of authorised dealers are not entertained by the particular Executive Engineer. In many occasions, the quotations were cancelled midway and supply orders placed directly to supplier, which is not an authorised supplier of the product. While placing direct supply orders, the Department even do not mention the Dealership Clause and in so doing the Department is encouraging purchase of counterfeit and duplicate toners in government departments. The Department never bothers to verify the credentials of suppliers particularly those of toners as the Govt. of India way back in the year 2008 has strictly call for use of genuine toners and computer accessories in government agencies,” claim some suppliers.
The Central Vigilance Commission in a memorandum to all government departments said that use of counterfeit consumables such as printer cartridges and toners etc which are refilled with ink of poor quality leads to poor performance and clogging, smudging in printers etc.
All government agencies should purchase consumables from OEC authorised suppliers or distributors to ensure quality and longevity of printer equipments, the Commission noted.
After the memorandum, instructions were issued to all departments of the UT administration to purchase consumables like toners/ cartridges only from authorised dealers of reputed companies like Ricoh/Gestetner/ HP/ Toshiba/Canon etc.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, December 01: The Secretary, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI), Mr N K Sharma has assured the islanders that action will be taken against PRI members if it is found that they are involved in corrupt activities.
In many cases in past media had reported about illegal purchases made by various Panchayat in name of Garbage Bins, Stationeries, Parks etc but not concrete action was taken against anyone.
When questioned the Secretary of PRI, Mr Sharma said that there might be delay in the process but no one will be spared if found involved in corruption.
Reminding about a Pramukh of Little Andaman, the Secretary, PRI said that strict action was taken against the Pramukh as she was involved in corruption.
Among top corruption cases by PRI members one Pradhan of Urmilapur Panchayat had purchased a wall clock at Rs. 85,000/-, while a Pradhan had purchased garbage bins worth Rs. 900 @ Rs. 5000 to Rs 6000/each.

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Dec 01: Engineered pictures of prominent tourist destinations published in a popular magazine left islanders appalled recently. Andaman Sheekha readers pointed out how the joy of noticing a feature story in Gladrags magazine of GoAir Airlines on the picturesque Andaman and Nicobar Islands turned short-lived after they discovered photographs carried along with the feature bear no resemblance to the tourist destinations in these islands.
“During a recent trip to Kolkata on board Go Air airlines, I was excited to see a feature on Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the
magazine, Gladrags. But after turning through the pages of the cover page article, I was shocked to see pictures of other South Asian countries published along with the feature story on Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” pointed out an Islander.
She added that photograph carried along with certain information on Ross Island was a place in Thailand. Similarly, pictures carried in the name of Colinpur Beach, Carbyn’s cove or Baratang were also contrived.
“Andamans don’t need fake pictures to garner attention and journalists covering Andaman should atleast Google efficiently to present the true picture of these islands. This maybe a non issue to many, but I was irked enough to write a post on it,” says the reader in the post while many others who have also seen the article seconded.
However, it is still now clear whether the article on the Gladrags was a feature article or an Advertorial (Paid article by Andaman Tourism) but in any case such Engineered pictures are not good for Andaman Tourism.