Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Oct 14: After nine glorious nights of Navratri filled with joy, devotion, and play, Goddess Durga finally returns to her heavenly abode with Durga Visarjan on the day of Vijayadashami or Dussehra of the festival. It’s a day of mixed feelings – joy for having celebrated the goddess’s arrival and sadness as she returns to her heavenly abode. In fact, it’s not just about immersing Maa Durga idols in water, it’s a celebration of faith, community, and love for the divine mother.
In Diglipur, Durga Puja which started on 09th October culminated on 12th October 2024. However, out of three Durga Puja Committees in Diglipur Bazaar, two committees namely- Children Park Committee and Nabo Durgatostsav Committee gave Visarjan of Maa Durga in the evening today and was marked by grand processions, music, dance, and a lot of emotion. During the processions, people carried the beautifully crafted idols of Durga towards the Kalpong River for immersion.
While the ritual marked the end of the puja, the day was more about bidding a heartfelt farewell to the goddess. Devotees prayed to her, seeking her blessings for the year ahead and inviting her to return next year with renewed joy and happiness. It was a bittersweet moment, where devotees chanted Asche Bochor Abar Hobe (Next year, it will happen again), affirming their faith in Durga’s return.
Before Maa Durga Visarjan, women performed the Sindoor Khela which is a part of the Visarjan ritual and a vibrant celebration where women devotees applied vermillion (sindoor), to each other’s faces, symbolizing the joy of Durga’s victory over evil.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Oct 07: The whole Diglipur town is in festive mood and like every year the entire Bengali community here has come together for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations; preparations for the Puja festival are underway in full swing.
On the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations, Durga Puja organizers, immersed in last-minute preparations, seemed anxious about completing pandals and decorations on time. In fact, during these five-six days, the Diglipur town immerses itself in celebrating the Goddess.
Similarly, various stall-keepers were seen busy decorating their stalls with festival goods and eye-catching decorations to lure customers as many as possible in the festive days.
Durga Puja is celebrated at three (03) places in Diglipur Bazaar area: Sarbojanin Sri Sri Durga Puja celebrated at old Vegetable Market being the oldest one is organized by Vegetable Market Durga Puja Committee, Durga Puja celebrated at Children Park and is organized by Children Park Committee and Sarbojanin Sri Sri Durga Puja celebrated near Goenka’s is organized by Nabo Durgatostsav Committee, Diglipur. Vegetable Market Durga Puja Committee is celebrating its 67th Durga Puja this year.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Sept. 15: It has been a couple of years since the diversion of land to House Site & Commercial Site was put on a hold in N & M Andaman as well as South Andaman Districts and which has triggered a number of hurdles for the people.
According to information, people are not in a condition to build their houses despite having their own land. Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily a person, grappling with resultant situation said, “The irony is that, whenever we start constructing our house over our own land, the Revenue Officials immediately imposes restrictions on the construction on the pretext that the land hasn’t been diverted to a house site, while to our utter dismay, the very Revenue Dept. has stopped the process of diversion of land into house site as well as commercial, and it is really beyond one’s comprehension.” Things are becoming critical here day by day, he bemoaned. “I arranged materials for the purpose of construction of my residential house with my hard-earned money, but I can’t start the construction work of my house because the land is yet to be diverted to a house site”, said another individual wrestling with the situation thrown by the Administration’s decision of holding back the process of diversion of land to house site & commercial site.
On the other hand, the unemployed aspirants intending to set up business establishments on their land are being severely affected due to the cessation of diversion of land in commercial site and which needs to be resumed on priority, rued a group of unemployed youths. Expressing their chagrin over the Administration’s shelving the process of diversion of land to House Site & Commercial Site, the veterans of different NGOs and the stakeholders in Diglipur said that the Administration should resume the diversion of land to House Site & Commercial Site without further delay in the larger interests of the unemployed youths and the stakeholders.

Rabindranath Biswas
Basantipur/Diglipur, Sept. 04: The residents of Prafullanagar and Pareshnagar under Gram Panchayat Basantipur, Middle Andaman have decried failure of authorities to undertake repairs of dilapidated rural roads in the locality.
According to information, the connecting Rural Road from Govt. Primary School Badam Nallah to Manoranjan Das at Prafullanagar (total length of 1.815 kms) and Rural Road from ATR to Manick Pulley House at Pareshnagar Anganwadi (total length of 1.060 kms) under Gram Panchayat Basantipur, Middle Andaman, have deteriorated significantly, causing immense hardship for residents and vehicle owners alike.
These two rural road’s deplorable condition has sparked widespread outrage among the residents, who claim that the concerned department’s failure to repair the stretches of these roads has exacerbated the issue, the Pradhan said.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, Shri Ramkrishna Roy, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Basantipur, Middle Andaman said that large swathes of these two rural roads are lying dangerously strewn with potholes and are becoming awfully unsafe for the residents and motorists for the last 5-7 years.
He further informed that these two rural roads were under PRI and which were later handed over to the APWD, but the concerned department has reportedly failed to float tenders for the repair of the roads owing to reasons known to the department. However, the Pradhan further alleged that estimates of these two roads were reportedly rejected two times which further caused undesired delay in floating tenders.
On the other hand, the patches of these two rural roads in question have become a source of inconveniences for pregnant women, children, students and elderly and also for the motorists, the Pradhan said.
These two rural roads are in dilapidated condition for half a decade and the residents of the regions are falling victims to it, he decried. The Pradhan urged the concerned authority to ensure immediate repairs of these two dilapidated roads in the area for the safe movements of the residents as life is precious, he said.
However, Andaman Sheekha Daily when tried to contact the APWD officials over phone to know more on the matter, the phone calls were found not reachable.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 30: The news with captions: “The Police of A & N Islands/the Defense apprehended Myanmarese poachers with their engine dinghies after their infiltration into A & N Islands and the cases under India’s relevant Acts were registered against them” has made headlines in different newspapers over the last few years. Recently one such type of act happened in which the Myanmarese poachers sneaked into Elizabeth Bay recently as stated by the Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti, Diglipur, Shri Dipankar Mistry.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, Mr. Dipankar Mistry told that he was informed by the residents of Elizabeth Bay that 8-10 Myanmarese poachers had reportedly trespassed into Elizabeth Bay recently and the engine dinghies in which the poachers had intruded were reportedly seized by the Police personnel.
Under the given situation, the residents further informed the Pramukh that there was apprehension that those Myanmarese poachers would purloin the fishing dinghies of the fishermen of Elizabeth Bay and flee from Indian soil. The Pramukh further said the he received another information from the residents of Elizabeth Bay on 22nd August 2024 that the Myanmarese poachers, as feared, had reportedly absconded with the fishing dinghies of one Shri Shabuj Das, S/o Sankar Das and Shri Subroto Das, S/o Nantu Das of the area.
The fishing dinghies of these two fishermen were the only source of income with which they used to venture into seas for catching for their livelihood, the Pramukh said. And since their livelihood is at stake without their fishing dinghies, the Pramukh has urged the Deputy Commissioner, N & M Andaman, Mayabunder for extending necessary compensation to these two fishermen so that they may start catching fish for the sustenance of their families, as stated by the Pramukh.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 30: The beneficiaries of STS Bus Pass and general public of Diglipur have decried the alleged suspension of the designated site in ANTS (a webpage run by Andaman Nicobar State Transport Services) and which is reportedly causing severe inconveniences to them.
According to information, the STS Unit Diglipur is providing the service of issuance of Bus Pass to the beneficiaries manually at its Office. However, the beneficiaries alleged that issuance of Bus Pass manually is time-consuming and they have to visit the Office and wait for it.
The beneficiaries further said there is a designated site in ANTS through which they may apply for Bus pass online and obtain the bus pass, but unfortunately the site is reportedly found locked, they alleged. Hence, they have to helplessly visit the Office for availing the benefits. On the other hand, tickets for the STS bus night service from Diglipur to Port Blair are also being issued reportedly manually owing to the blocking of the designated online site in ANTS, the general public alleged. As a result, the public have to visit the Office and take the tickets manually which often becomes inconvenient for them for scores of reasons, they rued. Had the site for e-tickets for the STS bus night service from Diglipur to Port Blair been operational, they wouldn’t have to face the wrath of the situation, they decried.
The public and the beneficiaries of STS Bus Pass have urged the administration to make both sites operational in the larger interests of the public, they said.

 

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 29: An accident took place in the premises of CHC, Diglipur in the morning hours today.
According to information, an individual was trying to manoeouvre his car in the premises of CHC Diglipur while another person was on his way back home on his scooty after taking the medicine from the hospital. However, the driver of the car reportedly lost his control over the car and smashed the scooty and then the car along with the scooty plunged into a low-lying area and got stuck in the CHC’s mortuary buildings that exist thereon.
There were reportedly family members in the car who were stated to be unhurt while the person riding the scooty sustained injuries and was reportedly admitted in the CHC.
The CHC Officials said that the car had reportedly parked at the space which is not meant for the general public, and despite repeated prohibition, the individuals sometimes flout the prohibition and park their private vehicles on the space not meant for them. Besides, the space for parking CHC’s ambulance is a tiny area and hardly accommodates CHC’s ambulance. Public on the other hand, demanded the deployment of police personnel to regulate the traffic in and around CHC premises. A case under relevant rules was registered against the driver of the car, the source said.

 

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 23: The Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti, Diglipur Mr. Dipankar Mistry raised a number of issues related to public utilities.
The Pramukh said the people of Diglipur are facing severe inconveniences owing to weak signal of BSNL in the entire Diglipur region.
According to information, the customers of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Diglipur have been experiencing weak signals for the past many months, causing severe connectivity problems. Sometime, the signal drops so low that people are put into an exasperating situation especially in a medical emergency, the Pramukh said. On the other hand, since the school going children now heavily depend on online education, BSNL’s weak signal or no-signal at all at times poses as a terrible blow to them, the Pramukh alleged. Call drops, low MBPS and poor internet services are the other crippling issues of the BSNL, the Pramukh said. In this regard, the Pramukh also wrote a letter to the General Manager, apprising him of the matter and urging him to redress the problem. The Pramukh also apprised the Deputy Commissioner, N & M Andaman of the issue, he said.
The Pramukh also felt the necessity of a mortuary van for Diglipur so that people requiring it may avail the facility of it. In absence of a mortuary van, the people of Diglipur region have to face unspeakable problems to transport the dead body of their beloved ones from Port Blair to Diglipur, he said. The Pramukh further said that the previous Member of Parliament had promised a mortuary van for Diglipur but the ex-MP didn’t keep his promise, the Pramukh alleged. Hence he has this time urged the present Member of Parliament in a letter to provide a mortuary van for Diglipur, he further said.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 21: Healthcare facilities in CHC Diglipur are hit due to severe shortage of general physicians and an optometrist.

According to information, there is reportedly no optometrist for the last two years in the CHC, Diglipur. As a result of which, people suffering with eye complaints aren’t in a position to get their eyes tested and treated. Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, an individual, on condition of anonymity, said, “Our expectant mothers are facing severe difficulties owing to non-availability of the facility of a gynaecologist here. We don’t want the expectant mothers to be air-lifted or referred in critical condition from Diglipur; we want a gynaecologist permanently posted in CHC, Diglipur, but unfortunately that is not happeningly”. Miffed over the shortcomings of the CHC, Diglipur another person said that there are dire shortage of general physicians in the Community Health Centre and which is costing us dear over the years. There is no bilirubin testing facility in the CHC and as a result of which jaundice patients are suffering, lamented others. The CHC, Diglipur isn’t equipped with an ultrasound machine and patients have to go to GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair or other cities for availing its facilities and which often becomes unaffordable for economically weaker sections of the society, veterans said. The Administration should look into the matter and resolve the issues on priority, they opined.

However, Andaman Sheekha Daily, when posed questions the CMO, Diglipur over phone and wanted to know more on the matter, the higher authority of CHC, Diglipur said that an optometrist has been posted at CHC, D/Pur and he is expected to reportedly report for duty within 15 days. Blood test for serum bilirubin is reportedly done at CHC Diglipur, he further said.