Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 22: The Andaman Public Works Department has started necessary works for the construction of Port Blair city’s first ‘Four- Lane Road’, which is much awaiting good news for the people of these Islands.
Construction of four-lane road will however ease congestion along Dairy Farm to Bhathu Basthi and will also be a great boost for future developments.
To alleviate the congestion currently experienced along the city during peak hours and to cater to expected growth in future traffic demand, the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) will construct a four-lane road from Dairy Farm to Bhathu Basthi.
The construction work of the new road has already started and the retaining wall and two culvert works has already been completed.
Today, with increased traffic, road experiences heavier traffic than before, especially during the morning and evening peak hours and the first four-lane of these islands is definitely a good start and slowly through this initiatives the city is believed to be free of traffic congestion in near future.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha recently, the Executive Engineer, SAD, Er H M Lingaraju gave some details about the four-lane road. He said that each lane will be of 3.75 meters with one meter central median, the total width of the road is 20 meters and the length of the road is 3.54 kilometers i.e from Dairy Farm Utkrosh Gate to Bhathu Basthi.
“The work for the four-lane road is under process and widening will be taken up shortly,” Er Lingaraju said.
Further he added that after the construction of the four-lane road, there is a planning for construction of a cycle track in the second phase of the project i.e 1.2 meters on both the sides.

Port Blair, Jun 21: The 2nd International Day of Yoga was celebrated today throughout the country, in various part of the world and in these Islands as well. It was on December 11, 2014, the 193 member United Nations General Assembly approved the proposal of the Govt. of India by consensus, with 177 co-sponsoring countries, a resolution to establish 21st June as International Day of Yoga, which ultimately led to its first ever celebration last year. As many as 21 centers in South Andaman District witnessed yoga practices, with hundreds and hundreds of people from all corners of the District participating in this year’s yoga day celebration here this morning.
The Lt. Governor, Lt. Gen. A K Singh (Retd.) participated in a yoga demonstration in the Multipurpose Hall, Netaji Stadium here this morning. Kumari V Sandhya, a student of GSS Juglighat guided the demonstration for 30 yoga protocol to about 130 participants, including senior officers of the Administration, students, SAI sportsperson and general public. Common yoga protocols, including vrikshasana, padahastasana, uttana mandukasana, setubandhasana etc were practiced during the celebration.
The Lt. Governor also participated in the Yoga practices held in the auditorium of JNRM, in which 100 participants, including National Cadet Corps, students and general public took part. Yoga Instructor, AYUSH Hospital, Port Blair, Shri Ajit Kumar Das guided the yoga practices of different yogasana, briefing about the benefits of each yogasana to the participants.
Similar yoga practices were also held in around 30 yoga centers across the Islands, where large number of people from all walks of life took part.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 20: Expressing his concern over increasing number of suicide the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands today urged public not to take extreme steps and use the word ‘chill’.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a ‘Wellness Conclave’ at the JNRM auditorium here this morning the Lt. Governor said that people have an Island mentality of isolation and these Islands have issues like high rate of suicides; to handle here.
“Last year we conducted a same kind of seminar on how to reduce or bring down the incidents or eliminate the incidents of suicide and we got a good response. I suggested the Secretary Social Welfare to conduct one more seminar as again the number of suicides seemed to be increasing. But the Secretary said it would be a kind of negative discourse if we just focus on suicide, let’s do it in a positive view and present this in a positive manner and that’s the origin of this seminar,” the Lt. Governor said.
He urged people of these Islands to not to go to the extreme.
“If there is any failure or criticism don’t take the extreme step, just stop for sometimes and use this word chill,” the Lt. Governor said adding a beautiful quote, “Real happiness lies within you, real peace of mind has no ups and no downs, it cannot be partial in adversity and it cannot be wholesome in prospect, that’s peace of mind”.

Staff Correspondent
Mayabunder, June 19: Seizure of venison from a crew member of MV Swaraj Dweep triggered a ripple at Mayabunder today.
A high drama which followed after the arrest of Vinith Roy, the crew member the ship was delayed at Mayabunder for nearly seven hours, leaving all the passengers deeply upset and frustrated.
The ship was scheduled to leave for Kolkata at 10:00am from Mayabunder but after this arrest the ship left Mayabunder Port only by 5.00 pm.
As per reports, when the ship berthed at Mayabunder Jetty this morning one crew member of the ship Vinith Roy went to Mayabunder Bazaar.
Sources said that when he was bringing nearly 4 kgs of venison from someone known to him in an auto, a team of Forest Department under the overall supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer, Mayabunder intercepted the auto and recovered 4 kg of venison.
Vinith Roy, the auto driver and one co-passenger were arrested by the Forest Department.
Unconfirmed report says that the Pilot and the Captain of the ship also tried to meet the DFO in this matter but they could not meet and had to go back to the ship.
Although some sources maintain that the delay was because of some repair works in the crane of the ship but others believe that the delay was just because the authorities onboard the ship were trying to save the arrested crew members.
It is learnt that the ship left without the crew to Kolkata at 05:00pm and it is also learnt that the crew member and other two have been produced in the court, from where they have been sent to Judicial Custody.
To know the exact reason behind the delay, when Andaman Sheekha tried to contact the Deputy Director Shipping over phone, he couldn’t be reached. The ACF of Mayabunder also refused to comment in this issue when contacted.

Port Blair, June 17: The Lt Governor, Lt Gen A K Singh (Retd), has directed the Secretary (Personnel) to expedite the recruitment process for filling up vacant posts in various departments of the Administration. He has directed that these vacancies should be filled up in a gradual manner. As many as 4127 posts are lying vacant in various departments of the Administration. Out of this, 286 vacancies are for group A, 151 group B (G), 665 group B (NG) and 3025 group C vacancies.
As per the directions of the Lt Governor, the Recruitment & Examination Cell (Personnel Department) has already initiated the process to fill up these vacancies. The cell has also attempted necessary draft vacancy notices and schemes of the examination including syllabus and online application format etc. which were sent to the Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi for vetting and their consent to extend assistance in conducting all these examinations.

DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, June 14: Lack of maintenance of Private Buses today left Diglipur bound passengers deeply upset.
According to reports the Anand Bus left for Diglipur at 7.00 AM from Private Bus Stand but after crossing Jirkatang it developed technical snags. All harassed passengers were later sent to Diglipur via STS bus.
Similarly SS Transport night bus which left for Diglipur from Port Blair at around 12.30 noon, developed technical snags at Ferrargunj.
As per report even after repairs the bus could not reach Jirkatang on time for last convoy and hence the bus brought back all passengers to Port Blair. It is learnt that these passengers will be taken to Diglipur tomorrow.
Such incidents of sudden breakdown and increasing incidents accidents have raised a serious questions over the fitness of these buses which travels all the way to Diglipur everyday, carrying hundreds of passengers. This year already one dozens bus accidents have been reported in Andaman Trunk Road. Does anyone care?

Sarthak Kanjillal
Port Blair, June 12: The Daily Rated Mazdoors working in the State Transport Service for last 10-11 years has alleged step motherly treatment of the Department and administration towards them.
As per the DRMs of STS, they are serving the Department since last 10-11 years but instead of regularizing them the department has issued a Vacancy Notice of 54 Bus Conductors and 49 Drivers.
“From the year 1993 to 2014 the DRMs, contractual employees of the department were regularized as per seniority and quota basis but this is the first time when instead of regularizing us the department has issued a vacancy notice,” a DRM of STS said.
The DRMs of STS Department appealed the administration to regularize them first. They are demanding that after administration completes the regularization of all the DRMs and Contractual Employees working in the department since last 10-11 years, the department should think of fresh recruitments.
However, the DRMs of the STS Department have made it clear that if the Department and the administration does not take their demand seriously, they will sit on a strike from 20th June.

Port Blair, June 10: This could be a new angle in UP Tikry Murder Case in which a lady of UP Tikry, Mrs. Ramini Devi was murdered on 13 April, 2016.
The victim of recent attempt to murder case of same area, Kamna Tiwari strongly believe that her attacker has some links with earlier murder case of the area.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha exclusively Kamna Tiwari today said that she has identified the attacker and based on her identification the attacker has now been arrested.
She told Andaman Sheekha that she remember of seeing the attacker thrice in her area, twice in Sippighat Bus stand and once with the son of the Meera Devi, the prime accused of the Ramini Devi Murder case.
She said that the victim did not say even a single word while attacking her for no reasons.
She said that the attacker was sitting on a bike when she crossed him, on a lonely road to UP Tikry, which doesn’t have street light.
According to her the attacker all of a sudden came from back and attacked him with a rod, but she managed to kick him down and run for her life.
Later when she reached near her house, running all the way, her mother came for the rescue.
She strongly believes that the attacker is not alone. “He must be having a good backing I believe and I feel that we are not safe,” she added.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, June 09: A Telecom Technical Assistant of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has reportedly escaped after committing a fraud of Rs 33 Lakhs in BSNL.
As per sources, Kirpankar Biswas, TTA, BSNL who was posted at Campbell Bay used to collect money as part of Telephone Bills from BSNL customers since the day he was posted at Campbell Bay.
According to details he never used to deposit the collected amount in the Departments Account. Sources further said that he was involved in similar fraud at Diglipur also, where he was posted earlier.
The BSNL came to know about this fraud when a team of BSNL reportedly visited the Island for carrying out an audit few months back.
As per sources, Kirpanker Biswas has also taken lakhs of money from the people of Port Blair, Diglipur and Campbell Bay and have never returned them the money.
It is also learnt that few people of Campbell Bay who were cheated from the TTA had reportedly went to the Campbell Bay Police Station to register a complaint against him but because of having no documents of the money transaction (they had given to Kirpanker Biswas as a loan) no case could be registered.
Cheated people also allege that higher officers of BSNL are involved with Kirpanker Biswas as till date the department has not launched a complaint against him neither they have got any help from the said department.
As per highly placed sources in BSNL, Kirpanker Biswas has already paid an amount of Rs 14 lakhs and the department is trying to get back the remaining amount from him.
He also said that the department is also in the process to take a disciplinary action against him as per the Departments administrative procedures.
However, it is still hard to believe that why the BSNL Department has yet not registered the case against the fraud TTA, who is absconding since last nearly a month after committing a fraud of worth rupees lakhs.
Andaman Sheekha has also learnt that soon some people, who have been cheated by this guy, are planning to meet the Chief Secretary.