Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, July 04: The passengers travelling to Port Blair from Chennai today had a horrible time when the Air India delayed their 5.10 am morning flight for unknown reasons.
Earlier the flight was supposed to leave Chennai at 5.10 am but later the time was rescheduled as 10.10 am. A SMS alert was issued by the Air India but most of the passengers allege they did not receive any such SMS.
To the dismay the time was again changed and this time the passengers were told that the flight will leave for Port Blair only at 1.20 pm. Finally time was again changed and at last the flight left for Port Blair only at around 2.30 PM.
The problem did not end there nearly four families were denied seat on the (smaller) flight and were later given room in hotel at Chennai.
The officials of Air India told angry passengers at Chennai that the delay was for ‘technical reason’. Some passengers alleged that they did not even get breakfast from Air India.
Relatives of Late. Kashinathan, who died recently onboard MV Harshavardhana and whose last rite was scheduled today, were worst hit. The family members of the deceased could be seen crying at the airport for entire day. A few passengers who had booked tickets for North and Middle Andaman for today’s afternoon bus also suffered heavily.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 03: A picnic turned tragic after two youths of 18 year old drowned off the coast of Collinpur this afternoon.
According to the reports, a group of 14 youths went on a picnic to the beach.
As per sources, all the 14 youths were playing with a ball at the sea but suddenly due to high tide four youths went inside the water, however with the efforts of the other youths, two were brought out of the sea water, but the other two namely Satyanarayan Naidu, S/o Late Tata Rao, R/o Anarkali and Ramesh Kumar also a resident of Anarkali couldn’t be saved.
As per sources, the body of one youth has been recovered and presently the body is at G B Pant Hospital for Post-mortem.
This incident has once again raised a serious question that when all the beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will get life guards and all safety equipments for the safety of general public.
The former pradhan of Tushnabad, Mr. Mohan Halder today alleged that he had demanded for life guards at Collinpur and Khurmadera beach several years back. He said that he had also put a demand in this regard in LG Helpdesk but life guards were never sent to these beaches. “The excuse was Buffer Zone. If Buffer Zone is the problem then stop all tourists from visiting the beach. As no lifeguards were given this accident took place today,” said Mr. Mohan Halder.

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, July 01: The Transport Department of Andaman and Nicobar
Administration has dismissed two daily rated employees, after Channel
One News and Andaman Sheekha showed videos and published photographs
of people stealing fuel from State Transport Service buses.

Three videos captured by Channel One News and Andaman Sheekha team
show a local fuel seller of Little Andaman Island stealing fuel from
STS buses, full of passengers, while the drivers and conductors are
allowing that to happen.

Following the report the Mr. Udit Prakash Rai, the Secretary of,
Transport Department of Andaman immediately took action and directed
to lodge an FIR in nearby Police Station against those who are
involved in this act.

“Two daily rated staffs, a driver and a conduct has been dismissed. We
are taking necessary action,” said Mr. Udit Prakash Rai.

Sarthak Kanjilal

Port Blair, June 29: Construction of new shops at Gandhi Market has drawn sharp criticism for the Municipal Council. According to reports, the civic body initiated the construction work recently for new shops in the Gandhi Market Complex. But the residents of the city allege that the Municipal Council has completely ignored crucial prerequisites before commencing the construction work.

Mohanpura remains the worst affected area of water-logging and rainwater inundation. Shopkeepers of the Gandhi Market complex are the main sufferers as a heavy downpour floods the shops located in the ground floor of the complex. Ironically, the Municipal Council has started construction of the new shops at the floor without any plan to clear rainwater inundation during rainy season.

“Construction of new shops at Gandhi Market stands testimony to the impromptu planning by the Municipal Council. Mohanpura is the worst affected area of rainwater floods and several shops at Gandhi Market gets inundated during heavy rains and flooding in the low-lying area.

But ignoring the aspects related to the safety of the shopkeepers who suffer heavy losses due to floods, the Municipal Council started construction of new shops at Gandhi Market that too at the ground floor. Instead of constructing new shops, the Municipal Council should shift its focus to Parking Lots in the city. Efforts should be made to identify more areas for development of parking lots in the city to decongest the vehicular population,” said some residents of Mohanpura.

Sarthak Kanjilal

Port Blair, June 28: Non availability of Ship Tickets to Hut Bay, Car Nicobar, Havelock has added to the woe of people who were waiting to get a ship ticket, since last night outside the Marine Jetty.
The locals are facing problems in getting tickets of ship as they allege that maximum numbers of tickets are sold from backdoor.
Local people allege that tour operators with the help of few staffs, book huge number of tickets for their guests through black marketing, because of which common people are suffering.
Anguished over not getting a ship ticket even after waiting the whole night, a group of people staged a protest in front of Directorate of Shipping Services at around 10:30 AM demanding tickets or an alternative solution to their problem.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, a Havelock resident alleged that since last night she is being waiting to get a ship ticket and as her turn came the Clerk in the Ticket Counter on asking replied that ‘all the tickets are booked for the afternoon vessel for Havelock’, but the same clerk issued nearly 20 tickets to a person who was just behind me. “This definitely means that the Clerks in the ticket counter are involved in the black marketing,” Havelock resident said.

Other protestors demanded the DSS to start a special ship only for Hut Bay to solve the crisis and also demanded the department to take stringent action against the staffs and people involved in the black marketing of tickets.

As per reports, the Director of Shipping Services in the morning had assured the public that the DSS will arrange some other alternative within half an hour. But to the utter dismay, none of the arrangements was done by the DSS till late afternoon neither any message was conveyed from the Department after which the public again held a protest in front of the DSS Office.

When Andaman Sheekha tried to contact the Director of Shipping Service twice in this issue, the DSS office staffs intimated us that the Director is too busy in something else.
Sadly, on other hand the Lt. Governor is always available for a comment on crucial issues, lower level officers most avoid media so that they don’t have to answer to questions raised by public.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 24: More than 50 Bus Conductors and Drivers working as Daily Rated Mazdoors since last many years in the Transport Department today staged a protest in front of the Department, under the banner of Centre Indian Trade Union (CITU) demanding regularization.
As per the DRMs, recently the department has published a notification for new recruitment of 54 Bus Conductors and 49 Drivers, but due to pressure of DRMs and their protest, the department has however cancelled the recruitment process for the post.
“How can department publish advertisement for appointing fresh candidates in STS when we are working in this department since last many years. This is absolutely wrong,” said some protesting DRMs.
The DRMs further said that the department has earlier regularized many DRMs between the years 1994 to 2004 and thus the department must follow the same pattern in future too.
Further, talking to Andaman Sheekha the General Secretary, CITU, Mr B Chandrachoodan, who was present in the protest said that the department while recruiting these DRMs has gone through all the stages including trade test and background check and thus these candidates are suitable to get regularized in the department.
“The administration should first regularize all the DRMs in the department and then the administration should go for fresh recruitments, if the administration does not consider the demands of the DRMs of the Transport Department than the DRMs under the banner of CITU will go ahead with the agitation,” Mr Chandrachoodan said.

Port Blair, June 23: It was indeed a moment of pride for the 48 local boys, selected through the Indian Army Recruitment process, who are now ready to join the Armed Forces, to receive their recruitment certificates from none other than the Lt. Governor of A&N Islands. At a despatch ceremony of enrolled boys of A&N Islands, organised by the Recruiting Office (HQ) Chennai, at the Tagore Auditorium here this evening, the Lt Governor, Lt Gen AK Singh (Retd), presented them with the certificates of recruitment.

Addressing the new recruits on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that there cannot be a more honourable profession than the Armed Forces. “Each one of you who have been selected, should feel proud that you have got an opportunity to serve our motherland”, he said.

The Lt. Governor congratulated the successful recruits and their proud parents, senior officers from the Armed Forces and the Administration for their concerted efforts in completing the recruitment process on a positive note.

The Lt Governor, who had a distinguished career in the Armed Forces, stated, “I feel proud that I was associated with Indian Army and I credit the achievements in my career to the Armed Forces”, he said. The Lt. Governor asked the boys to always keep in mind three key words i.e ‘Imandari, Wafadari and Izzat’. “These three words will always guide you to move in the right direction”, said the Lt Governor, advising the new recruits to work with dedication and hold their heads high.

The Lt Governor also desired that recruitment rallies should be conducted every year and urged the Administration to provide maximum help so that youth from different parts of these Islands can participate in such recruitment rallies. The Lt. Governor stated, while earlier only about 20 youth used to get selected in Army, with concerted efforts and encouragement of the Administration and the recruitment agency, in the last two years, a good number of youth have joined armed forces from these Islands. In 2014, 84 youth were recruited in Indian Army, about 70 were recruited in Territorial Army in last year and 48 have been recruited in Army this year, he said. The Lt. Governor expressed happiness that out of the 48 candidates selected, 36 will be joining Infantry Units. Due to the personal efforts of the Lt. Governor, it was decided that about 200 vacancies in Army will be filled from A&N Islands.
The Lt. Governor also requested the Army Officers to organize pre-training so that the local youth, especially from rural areas of A&N Islands, can prepare & familiarise themselves for the main recruitment rallies.

The function was also attended by the Chief of Staff ANC, Maj. Gen. P.S Sai, the IGP, A&N Police, Shri N.S Bundela, Officers from the Defence Establishment and Civil Administration.

Welcoming the chief guest and others present on the occasion, Col. Avinash D Pitre, Director, Recruiting, Army Recruitment Office, Headquarter Chennai, said that Army recruitment rally is being held once in every two years in these Islands and this time 48 candidates have been selected for training in Indian Army. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Lt. Governor and the entire Administration for their wholehearted support for the successful completion of the recruitment rally in A&N Islands. Another recruitment drive may be conducted between September and November, 2016, he said. The selected recruits are going to join Army Recruitment Centres at Bhopal (MP), Secunderabad (Telangana), Goa, Nasik (Maharashtra), Bangalore (Karnataka), Wellington (TN), Sagar (MP), Belgam (Karnataka), and Lucknow (UP), he added.