DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Sept 01: The PS Kalighat today registered a case against Mr. Asit Kumar Mondal, who was caught distributing umbrellas, stocked  in  a jeep at Kalighat Bazaar today.
About 40 umbrellas having BJP symbols seized from the jeep and according to details Mr. Asit reportedly admitted that he distributed about 30 umbrellas to the public.
His wife Mrs. Pushpa Rani Mondal is a contesting the Panchayat elections from Kalighat Panchayat of Diglipur Tehsil.

Port Blair, August 31: Thirty three unclaimed 750ml bottles of IMFL have been found this morning at around 04:45 am at Sippighat from a State Transport Service Bus, which was going towards Mayabunder.
The police team has seized the bottles as per 25 regulations.
As elections are nearing police has kept a strict vigil at all major locations of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Port Blair, Aug 31: A case has been registered at police station Aberdeen against Shri. Sanjay Chakarborty, S/o Late. S. Chakarborty, R/o Manpur, who is also a contesting candidate of Panchayat Samiti Member from Collinpur Constituency in the ensuing Panchayat Election 2015, for carrying illicit liquor in a car driven by him.
The appropriate action is being taken against him and as well as against the Hotel Raj Praksh, Lamba Line for allegedly supplying the same to the candidate.
The teams constituted for preventing the violation of Modal Code of Conduct have been keeping constant vigil. The 42 (Forty Two) number of defacements have been removed in North & Middle Andaman District & 437 as on 31st August 2015 in South Andaman District. The general public and others are appealed to report any case of violation of Modal Code of Conduct to Election Cell on 03192-238881 and 03192-240127.
Meanwhile, the Director Municipal & Panchayat Elections, A & N Islands cautions all the Government Servants to not to involve in any activities of the political parties or others related to elections, if found stringent action shall be initiated against them.
It is to inform to the Polling Personnel that the form for Postal Ballots are available with the Returning Officers, Tehsildar’s & also uploaded in the website db.and.nic.in/stateelection/.

It is also informed that facility of hands on training for Presiding Officers & Polling Personnel is available in the District Office. Those who have doubts can take the training form the assigned master trainers namely- Shri. M. Papa Rao, contact no. 943426838, Shri. M. Kishore, contact no. 9476021775 & Shri. David Arul Raj, contract no. 9434278091.

Advisory has been issued to the contesting candidates for setting up of office and use of vehicles during electioneering. The team leaders of MCC teams have been issued directions for ensuring proper barricading and picketing of their concerned areas by police.

Meanwhile, after the completion of scrutiny & withdrawal, list of contesting candidates for Municipal & Zilla Parishad Members have been uploaded in the website db.and.nic.in/stateelection/ of the Director of Municipal & Panchayat Elections, A & N Administration and final list pertaining to Members Gram Panchayat, Members Panchayat Samiti & Gram Pradhans will also be uploaded, a release issued by Additional District Magistrate, South Andaman said here today.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Aug 31: Persistent demands from various quarters finally paid off as the Transport Department of the UT Administration introduced special bus services between Haddo Wharf and Bhatu Basti recently. The bus services will benefit scores of ship passengers who earlier had to dish out huge money to private transport means to reach their destinations after arrival from mainland.
As per the new arrangement, the Transport Department will position a bus at the Haddo Wharf to transport passengers arriving from mainland, Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai, after their arrival. The bus will be stationed in front of the Passenger Terminal at Haddo to avoid any inconvenience to ship passengers. “This is a welcome step by the Transport Department. Passengers had to face hardships earlier in the absence of bus service between Haddo and Bhatu Basti. Availing an auto rickshaw or a taxi was an expensive deal as they charged heavily from the ship passengers. The introduction of the special bus services has come as a huge relief for the ship passengers,” said some residents of Bhatu Basti.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha, the Secretary-cum-Director, Transport Department, Mr JB Singh said that the special bus service between Haddo Wharf and Bhatu Basti will be linked to ship arrivals from mainland. The bus will facilitate movement of passengers to their destinations on nominal fares from Haddo Port, he added.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, August 30: The Forest Department has finally made it clear that catching snakes is the job of Forest Department and not Fire Brigade’s.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, a top official of Forest Department said that he was surprised to see that in Andaman, people are calling Fire Service Jawans to catch snakes, which according to him is ‘wrong’.
“Catching any wild animal is the responsibility of Forest Department,” he said.
When asked that why public has no information about any phone number of forest department, where they can call for help, when they encounter a snake, he said that the general public can call at 03192-245229, the control room of Forest & Wildlife Department to catch Snakes.
“I have given instruction to spread awareness about presence of Forest Department’s control room and to give proper publicity to the phone numbers,” he said.
He also said that recently a snake catching training was imparted to the staffs of the Forest and Wildlife Department and also to staffs of Andaman and Nicobar Command, so that in remote Islands Defence Jawan can deal with such problems.
The Forest official added the department is also buying Snake Sticks to catch Snakes.

Amit Halder
Port Blair, August 27: During the ongoing search operation being conducted by police to check illegal supply of liquor and cash, a police team found Rs 17 lakh cash in a private vehicle at Chouldary this evening.
Recovery of such huge amount of cash created ripple among people, who were present on the spot.
However after an inquiry it was found that the person in the private car was a staff of a bank and was going to refill an ATM with the cash.