ANDAMAN SHEEKHA

The True Mirror of A & N Islands

Kadamtala villagers plant Paddy and Taro Plants on slushy Andaman Trunk road as protest

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Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Sept 23: Two villagers were seen today planting Paddy saplings and Taro Plants on the slushy surface of Andaman Trunk Road of Kadamtala region to protest against pathetic road conditions.
The photographs of the two villagers protesting in this silent and unique way went viral immediately in social media, which got huge support from public. Mr. Subrata Basu, a social worker of the region led the protest, who had earlier protested against pathetic condition of ATR by laying fishing nets into potholes.
The condition of Andaman Trunk Road in different stretches right from Baratang to Diglipur is pathetic, causing huge inconvenience to commuters.

Villagers of Durgapur, North Andaman block road in protest of bad road

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John Wilbert
Port Blair, Sept 14: Today morning at around 08:30 AM some villagers of Durga Pur, North Andaman gathered at Durgapur Junction and started protest against pathetic condition of the road. Later they blocked the main road, demanding maintenance work of Durga Pur to Lamia Bay road.
Meanwhile Assistant Commissioner Diglipur and representative of NHIDCL reached the spot and gave assurances to start road work today onwards. As per information today evening quarry material reached the site and tomorrow onward maintenance work will begin.

Potholes menace for Calicut residents becomes worse as APWD struggles to bring relief

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John Wilbert & Savita Kumari
Port Blair, Sept 07: Driving through Calicut roads has now become a risky affair for commuters but sadly the pain of the commuters never felt by senior officers of APWD. As rains continued to pound the roads, the potholes are becoming wider and deeper, as a result the public has to suffer everyday.
As per information received the rains coupled with movement of heavy vehicles have made this entire road so bad that people cannot take a walk without the vehicle driving through potholes and splashing waters. As per public, hundreds of potholes leave public deeply disappointed. School students and senior citizens are the worst sufferers.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted a senior Officer at APWD, who doesn’t want his name to be quoted, he said that because of heavy rainfall these potholes are coming up and due in rain the construction work for new road could not be started.
According to our agreement we will complete the work of constructing new road by January 2022, at present potholes are being filled up with concrete, so that the people do not suffer, said the officer.
One wonders why roads made by NHIDCL contractors do not develop potholes but road constructed by APWD develops hundreds of potholes within a years, in same climatic conditions.

 

SBI Official Assures to repair ATM of Lucknow Area of Mayabunder Soon; Villages say delay unacceptable

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Trinath & Savita Kuamri
Port Blair, Sep 03: SBI ATM at Lucknow village of Mayabunder is out of service since last one and half months due to which the villagers of the region are suffering heavily.
In present day when salary is credited to individual accounts of Government servants , it becomes difficult for people to get cash for daily expenses in remote areas, if ATMs are not functioning.
The Billyground Correspondent of Andaman Sheekha today contacted SBI official of Mayabunder to know the reason for not repairing the ATM.
The SBI official confirmed that the ATM machine is not functioning well due to internet linking problems in the machine, the broadband system attached to Machine is not functioning. The official also said that there is no problem with cash delivery. He further said that the problem has also been informed to higher authority as well. The SBI official assured that the SBI will be made functional soon.
General public have however, expressed deep anguish over the delay in repair of ATMs in North and Middle Andaman by State Bank of India, which is unacceptable in this age of Digitalisation of cash.

Residents of Mayabunder demand Ophthalmologist and Pediatrician for RP Hospital

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Vijay, John Wilbert & Savita Kumari
Port Blair, Aug 24: The District of North and Middle Andaman was created during August 2006 and this is sad to see that even after 15 years of creation, the District Hospital of the region, RP Hospital lacks specialists like Ophthalmologists and Pediatricians.
It has been learnt that the district hospital Mayabunder, which should have been the best Hospital in entire district, does not even has Ophthalmologist and Pediatrician.
Public of Mayabunder region complain that when patients from remote areas come to R P Hospital Mayabunder with eye or children related problems, they get disappointed to see that the hospital lacks Ophthalmologist and Pediatrician.
Many who need urgent care have to travel to Port Blair for such treatment, which is not only troublesome but also expensive for remote Islanders.
As the DHS, Dr. Omkar Singh is hardly available to the media to answer questions on public issues, Andaman Sheekha contacted Dr. Amitabh De, the Deputy Director of Health in this regard.
Dr. De assured Andaman Sheekha that within one week a health camp will be organized at Mayabunder in which Ophthalmologists and Pediatricians will remain present for patients of the Mayabunder region.
Regarding the new appointment of Ophthalmologist and Pediatrician Dr. De said that the file regarding this issue is pending in the Ministry and once the file is cleared Ophthalmologists and Pediatricians will be appointed immediately and will be sent to areas like Mayabunder.

 

N&MA District Police Switches Gears with ease in Restrictions

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Port Blair, Sept 01: Crime and the methods change with the change in scenario. And to ensure that the law-abiding citizens get to go with their lives peacefully, police has to change its approach to minimise the opportunities of committing crime. Now, the policemen cannot be everywhere at all times, but by understanding the changing circumstances and prioritising accordingly, a lot can be achieved. That is what the district police of North and Middle Andaman district is doing.

While 2 months back, jungle searches were being conducted regularly to deal with the menace of Handia making, with the opening of bars and wine shops, the focus had to shift on people selling IMFL illegally. And the district police of North and Middle Andaman did that seamlessly. With a regular watch over historysheeters and bootleggers, the district police has been able to keep a check on illegal selling of IMFL. In the month of August, the police has registered 27 cases for violation of Excise Regulation. What is to be kept in mind that it is not always about the big quantities, it is also about selling IMFL in small pegs to daily wagers, taking their hard earned money. That is what the focus has been on.

Apart from that, as a matter of rule, the licenses of all the drivers caught driving drunk are being recommended for suspension, with NO Exceptions. In last 2 months, the district police has booked 39 defaulters for drunken driving.

A drive has also been conducted to execute all pending warrants. People change addresses and don’t turn up in courts, which affects the justice delivery system. Help is being taken from the district police of South Andaman and Nicobar and teams have also been dispatched to other districts in some cases.

All this is being done without losing focus from the enforcement of COVID guidelines. In the month of August itself, around 1700 people have been booked for violation of guidelines of administration under Disaster Management Act.

Exemption from Home Quarantine in N & M Andaman

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Trinath & Savita Kumari
Port Blair, Aug 23: People arriving to North and Middle Andaman District with valid RTPCR or RAT negative test report and with both doses of vaccine will be exempted from mandatory 03 days home quarantine.
In an order issued by Dr. Angel Bhati Chauhan the District Magistrate, NMA, it was mentioned that all inbound passengers from mainland coming to North & Middle Andaman district with valid RTPCR negative (-ve) test report on arrival and inter-island passengers with valid RAT negative (-ve) test report and having been administered both the doses of COVID vaccine shall be exempted from mandatory 03 days home quarantine.

Bodies of Billyground Couple Found from Creek Area

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John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Aug 18: Dead bodies to Billyground couple who remained missing since 15 August 2021 were found on 16th and 18th August 2021 from Badam nallah Creek.
According to reports on 15th August, the couple, Mr. Basil Kujur 55 year and Mrs. Julianaika Kujur 52 year, had gone to their farm area situated on the other side of the Badam nallah.
When they did not return, on the next day family members and other villagers started looking for them and during the search they sighted body of Mrs. Julianaika near the nallah.
Immediately information was given to PS Billiground and the body was shifted to PHC Billyground.
Further Police team and villagers continued search for Mr. Basil Kujur, 55 years .Today at around 09.30 AM, the body of Mr. Basil Kujur was found from a nallah, close to Nimbudera Market, nearly 1 KM away from the spot, where body of the his wife was found. Soon the body of Mr. Kujur was also shifted to Hospital.
A case of unnatural death has been registered at Billiground Police station and further investigations are going on. The reason behind these two deaths is yet not known but it is presumed that both were washed way in water current, while they were trying to cross the nallah.

Team HRS celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at Billiground

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Trinath
Billiground, Aug 16: On the occasion of 75th Independence Day, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was celebrated by Hindu Rashtra Shakti, North and Middle Andaman unit at Billiground vegetable Market around 5:00 PM by honouring Army veterans.
As per information received a warm welcome was received by all the veterans by the HRS Members and villagers. Mr. Dilip Kumar Das, President N&M District, HRS welcomed the veterans and the gathering.
Later Dr. P. K. Mandal, State General Secretary, A&N highlighted the objectives of HRS and he introduced all the veterans and gave details about their services rendered for the country.
Mr. Mandal also highlighted the challenges faced by these veterans during their service and how they protected the country from the enemies and terrorists. The retired army personnel got emotional on the occasion while remembering their sacrifice and fight.
All the members of HRS Mr. Sukanta Mazumder, Mr. N. C. Mazumder, Mr. Gautam Paul, Mr. Nepal Bhatta, Mr. Samir Sutar, Mr. Mangal Saha, Mr. Rabindra Nath Halder and all others were present on the occasion.

Plantation Drive at District Court, Mayabunder as a Part of Van Mahotsav -2021

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Mayabunder, August 05: The District Court, Mayabunder in association with Forest Division, Mayabunder has organized a plantation drive as a part of Van Mahotsav -2021 in the presence of Judicial Officers, Advocates, Public Prosecutors, Staff Members in the court complex by maintaining all SOPs of COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign was commenced by the planting of sapling of “Dev Daru” in the noble hands of Shri. Jimut Bahan Biswas, Hon’ble Additional District & Sessions Judge, North & Middle Andaman, Mayabunder. Thereafter, Shri. Rajkumar Naiya, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mayabunder, Shri. Vikramjit Sen, Judicial Magistrate First Class, Mayabunder, Shri. Feroz Qazi, Secretary, Bar Association, Mayabunder, Shri. Uttam Kirtania, Additional Public Prosecutor and Shri. Keshab Ch. Mondal, Special Public Prosecutor were actively participated in the plantation drive. Tree and forests play a very crucial role in maintaining an ecological balance and providing oxygen to human beings in the planet. The “Van Mohotav” is a reminder that we must protect forests and stop deforestation and practice the 3R (three R) rule – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. During this day long campaign, staff members from courts and prosecution wings are also actively participated in the planting of saplings of flowers and fruits bearing trees inside the District Court Complex with the mission to make the court campus greenery in the future. This plantation drive was assisted and coordinated by Shri. Basudev Samadder, Forest Range Officer along-with other forest officials of Forest Division, Mayabunder.