Trinath
Mayabunder, Apr 24: The Mahatma Gandhi Govt. College, Mayabundar has witnessed huge positive changes in recent past. The college suffered a lot of problems and hiccups, even till last year, when there was no permanent principal in the college. According to the sources during the absence of the permanent principal the principal in-charge of the college was the District Commissioner of North and Middle Andaman but still the college staffs and the students were facing huge difficulties.

But things changed miraculously since Dr. R.N Rath joined the college as the Permanent Principal. Solving the problem of water scarcity inside college campus is perhaps one of the major achievements of the new principal.

Every year during the summer season, Mayabunder reels under water scarcity. There were times in past when there was no sufficient water in Boys’ Hostel of MGGC, even for bath.

After joining Dr. R N Rath had series of meetings with officials of APWD and other departments in this regard. He also renovated the old ring well near the canteen and fixed a high power pump there to pump water to the hostels and now the students of MGGC do not face water crisis at all.

Power Cuts were also a major problem inside the college campus and to deal with this Dr. Rath has now installed inverters and hence power crisis doesn’t cause much problem for college students. It has been learnt that the Principal has also moved files for purchase of Generator for the college considering the remoteness of the place.

This is not the first time when Dr. Rath has brought positive and visible changes in the college, earlier during his first stint has Principal of MGGC, Dr. Rath had brought many encouraging changes in the college but sadly after his transfer to JNRM things became same, as it was earlier. Hopefully the present efforts of the Principal of MGGC won’t go waste even after his present stint.

DJ Venkatesh

Diglipur, Apr 23: On 22nd April 2013 issue Andaman Sheekha had carried a story with caption “Insufficient number of ferry vessels leaves Diglipur residents at High Sea” in which the issue of shortage of ferry vessel was highlighted. As usual the news story fell on deaf ears and today a new born baby died at PHC Radhanagar, Diglipur, just because a seven month pregnant mother could not find a seat in ferry vessels for Port Blair and delivered the baby prematurely.

Fuming parents and relatives now question that who should be held responsible for the death of the new born baby, the Shipping Department, the District Administration or the ever sleeping Administration, which takes public problems too lightly.

Recently, a seven month-pregnant woman went for routine check-up at Radhanagar PHC but due to High Blood Pressure she was referred to CHC Diglipur from there she was referred to GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair.

Talking to Andaman Sheekha Dr. Gaurav of PHC Randhanagar said that the lady needed an Ultra Sound Check up urgently. The Doctor added that as the pregnant lady was not fit for travel via bus in ATR, she was referred with a note of ‘Top Priority’ for ferry vessel ticket for this patient.

But even after the ‘Top Priority’ note the patient was unable to get ferry vessel ticket as only four tickets are reserved by the Shipping Department for patients in every sailing, while that day seven other patients were also in queue and were referred to G B Pant Hospital.
Again after four days, the relatives of the patient could not get a ticket for the ferry vessel as eight other referred patients were in queue. On that particular sailing some patients along with 15 attendants and two medical staffs went to Port Blair but still the lady couldn’t get a ticket.

Yesterday, the suffering lady delivered a seven month premature baby at her residence. Later the baby was brought to PHC Radhanagar, where the child died today.

The Child died because it is very difficult for even patient to get ferry vessel tickets for Port Blair from Diglipur due to shortage of ferry vessels. The Child died because the DSS has earmarked only four tickets per sailing for patient, knowing fully well that from the remote Islands, a lot of referred patients come to Port Blair in every sailing. The child also died because no hospital in Diglipur region has Ultra Sound technician or radiologist although there is one Ultra Sound Machine in North and Middle Andaman region.

People of North and Middle Andaman now question the Lt. Governor that how many people will have to die in Diglipur region to prove that the region needs daily ferry vessels, much more than Neil and Havelock Islands, which has seven to eight sailing of ferry vessels daily.

Trinath, E Arun & DJ Venkatesh
Panchawati, Apr 23: A labourer working in Panchayati’s APWD quarry today died in an accident. According to reports, the labourer, Vasudev Mondal, 52 years died, when he was climbing down from an elevated area with the help of a rope. According to sources, while scaling down, he lost grip and fell down. The labourer was immediately rushed to the Rangat Hospital, where he was declared, brought dead. Late Vasudev Mondal was a resident of Shanty Pur village of Swadesh Nagar area in Middle Andaman.

DJ Venkatesh

Diglipur, Apr 21: Insufficient number of ferry vessels for Diglipur Islands has left people of the remote Island in distressed. Due to limited capacity in the presently available vessels dozens of passengers have to return back from the Aerial Bay jetty of Diglipur, totally disappointed and dejected.

From the last five to six years three speed boats, having a capacity of about 70 passengers are operated between Port Blair and Diglipur Islands. After the enforcement of the earlier orders of the Supreme Court on shutting down of ATR one more vessel M.V Daring was pressed into service but after some days it was also replaced by a speed boat and ultimately the service was withdrawn without any notice.

From the last two weeks M.V Pillomillow is plying in between Port Blair and Diglipur Islands and on 13th of April 2013 there were 18 such passengers who were in the jetty without tickets waiting to board the vessel and on 17th April 2013 the number increased to 41 but not even a single passenger without ticket was allowed to board the vessel by the Captain.

Some of the passengers travel from far flung areas to Diglipur to reach Port Blair and most of them could not buy tickets since they reached Diglipur after all the tickets were sold out. Usually tickets are either provided to them at the jetty or else inside the vessels, if available but in most of the cases passengers are allowed to board the vessel, considering the remoteness of the place but now things have changed completely against common man.

“Passengers reach Jetty in such a large number without tickets not because they are saving money but because tickets are not available at the counter and they have to depend on the mercy of vessel crew to board the vessels. Some of them beg to board the vessels because of urgency. The shortage is ticket is just because the Administration is not sending sufficient number of ferry vessels for Diglipur Island. If that is done all passengers will get tickets on time,” said an angry passenger.

Call it double standard or step motherly attitude, since last five years the number of vessels between Diglipur and Port Blair is almost same but the number of vessels for Neil and Havelock Islands has been increased manifold by the Directorate of shipping services. This is high time for Administration to send more vessels for the Diglipur Islands. Bigger vessels can also be chartered for this sector as the Administration has done in the case of the Southern Groups.

However, when contacted the Assistant Secretary of Diglipur Dr. Vivek Kumar has assured to look into this matter and talk to concerned authorities on Monday.

 

Staff Correspondent
Rangat, Apr 18: The fish market of Rangat has become one of the dirtiest places of the entire Rangat areas due to shortage of water. According to reports the fish market in Rangat does not have water tanks and the fish vendors face a lot of problems to clean the place after closure of the market.

“A well has been constructed near the fish market for the fish vendors but the well is at a distance and taking out water from the well and cleaning the place is difficult and time consuming for us. We have been demanding for an overhead tank since last many years but there is no one to listen,” said a fisherman of Rangat area.

The vendors after selling the fish often keep the place un-cleaned because of the non-availability of running water to clean the place, which make the market filthy, dirty and unhygienic.

When Andaman Sheekha contacted Mr. Adil Mathubber, Pradhan, Rangat and asked him about the non-availability of water tanks at the Fish market Mr. Adil informed that there are many complications in the process but he will sort them out and fix tanks for the fish vendors very soon.

He also added that a well is there but that is at a distance and he is aware that it is difficult to fetch water from that well for the cleaning purpose.

 

Trinath

Billyground, Apr 17: The out of order ATM of State Bank of India is ruining the joy of Basanti Puja in Billyground area. According to reports the ATM is not working since last three days and even after complaints no one from SBI is bothered to repair the same.

As a result those who are coming out with family members to visit various pandals of Basanti Puja in Middle Andaman area, finding themselves without cash as their only hope, the SBI ATM counter has been kept closed since last three days.

Trinath

Billyground, Apr 15: The Hari Mahotsav concluded at Harinagar village of Billyground area today. The main attraction of this year’s Hari Mahotsav was the devotion of two devotees, who rolled on Andaman Trunk Road and covered a distance of 7 Km to reach Hari Temple at Billyground. Surprising even after rolling for 7 km on the unbelievably hot surface of Andaman Trunk, none of these devotees suffered any injury.

According to reports nearly 4000/- devotees from all the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reached Billyground to participate in the Mahotsav.