Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Nov. 23: There is no respite from the wrath of the sporadic and undesirable rain these days in Diglipur. In fact, it has become a headache and troublesome for the farmers and poor peasants. The untimely and ruthless rain has wreaked havoc especially on fully ripe paddy in the fields of the paddy growers. The farmers haven’t been able to garner or harvest the ripe paddy due to this unseasonable and unheralded rain. Trail of devastating damage of ripe paddy can be seen as it is still lying in the field. The gusty rain had laid the ripe paddy on the bed of the field and even the paddy has started sprouting again at the field itself.

Similarly, vegetable farmers who sowed seeds and seedlings have sustained severe loss; every time they sow the seeds, the seeds start sprouting and when they start growing the unpredicted rain damages the seedlings at their budding stage, bemoaned a farmer.

On the other hand, there is a huge crisis of vegetables created in the market as the production is being severely affected at the farm/field by this rain. As a result, the price of vegetables has skyrocketed while people with no choice are forced to dig into their pockets.

Meanwhile, voice has already been raised from different political platforms with the plea to the administration to assess the extent of damage of paddy and other crops due to this untimely rain and extend possible compenstion to the affected farmers, a source said.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Nov. 12: Contractors working under PRI, Diglipur are facing great difficulties due to absence of the AE (PRI) since 25/10/2021. An FIR was lodged in Police Station, Diglipur against the AE, PRI, Diglipur on 25th Oct. 2021 and since then the whereabouts of the AE is unknown, they alleged.

Numerous bills are pending on AE’s table and all most all the running works are stopped as material testing is not possible in absence of the said AE, the contractors revealed. The contractors further said that they are not in a position to execute the works below ground level and all sorts of reinforcement and works below ground level including building foundations are not seeable after execution and because of this fact; they are not being allowed to execute such works.

Expressing their bitter resentment towards this apathy of the PRI, these contractors said, “we have already sustained severe losses during the last one and half year owing to COVID-19 pandemic situation, and now this sort of undesired thwart in the works and non-payment of bills are really unfortunate and tenable”.

These contractors have shot a letter to The Secretary (RD/Panch/PRI), Secretariat, A & N Administration, Port Blair apprising the issues and urging the authority to post an AE for PRI, Diglipur on priority so as to do away with the prevailing stalemate; and until the incumbent assumes the Office, a Senior most Junior Engineer may be ordered to act in an AE’s capacity was another plea from the contractors to the Secretary, they said.

On the other hand, DRMs and other staff of this PRI, Diglipur are plagued with their salary problem since Oct. 2021 in wake of the lodging of the case against the AE, PRI, Diglipur. Talking to the Andaman Sheekha, the DRMs of the PRI, Diglipur revealed that they haven’t been paid with their last month’s salary yet while another fortnight is going to elapse. An early dispensation in this respect, will be an instant relief to their woes, they also added.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Nov. 03: The population of Diglipur is next only to Port Blair, South Andaman and as far as number of vehicles is concerned, Diglipur is not behind in this respect as well.
The auto-rickshaws plying in Diglipur alone have crossed 400 in numbers and one need not explain about the numbers of two and four wheelers here as it skyrocketed in the last few years.
But unfortunately, Petrol Pump without canopy is one of the shortcomings of the lone ANIIDCO Retail Outlet, Diglipur (Petrol Pump) that need to be addressed to.
In absence of this canopy, the consumers of petrol/diesel have to face the wrath of different weather conditions. In rainy season, bikers, power tiller owners and other stakeholders get drenched while refilling their vehicles with fuel at the premises of this ANIIDCO Petrol Pump as it lacks the canopy or any over-head shed arrangement.
“Every time there are serpentine queues at the pump, but this is not our main concern, our problem is that the petrol pump doesn’t meet the basic requirement of providing shelter to its consumers as there is no canopy installed/erected or any over-head shed arrangement in its premises which ought to be at a Petrol Pump, and as a result, in rainy season we get drenched and rain water/droplets enter into our fuel tanks with the fuel while filling the fuel under the open sky. On the other hand, in summer season, we have to queue up under scorching Sun for a long time for getting our tanks filled” rued a vehicle owner.

The auto rickshaw owners revealed that they had earlier wrote to the Managing Director, ANIIDCO Ltd. Port Blair in this regard, but it yielded no fruitful result.

Meanwhile, autorickshaw owners, bikers, power tiller owners and other motor vehicle owners have decided to meet the Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur and submit a representation to this effect for its immediate redressal, a source said.