Vikramaditya
Baratang, Oct 22: Residents of Baratang Island are set to get much-needed relief after facing a month-long disruption in ATM services. The lone ATM of the State Bank of India (SBI) on the island had malfunctioned, causing severe inconvenience to the people. In response, the Zilla Parishad member of Baratang Island met with the SBI regional manager in Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) to discuss the issue.
During the meeting, the regional manager informed the Zilla Parishad Member that a new ATM machine had already arrived at Baratang. However, the screen suffered damage during transportation, delaying its installation. The spare part is expected to arrive in Port Blair within three days, and the new ATM will be installed shortly after.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 21: The A&N State Sub Junior (U15) Chess Championship 2024, organized by the Andaman Nicobar Chess Association (ANCA) sponsored by SIDZERN, successfully concluded with a prize distribution ceremony at the SVPMC Community Hall, Dairy Farm, Ward No. 14, Port Blair. The championship saw participation from around 150 young players and served as a crucial selection event for the upcoming 49th National Sub Junior Chess Championship, scheduled to be held in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, from November 2nd to 11th, 2024.

In the Boys’ Section, J.S. Virat emerged as the champion, while Galav Saha took the runner-up position. A Chirag Kumar and S M Dinesh Kumar secured third and fourth places, respectively. In the Girls’ Section, D. Charvi emerged as the winner, while S. Sarisha was the runner-up. J Keerthana and G Disha Meenakshi took the third and fourth positions, respectively. The top four players from both sections will represent the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at the National Sub Junior Chess Championship.
The closing ceremony was graced by Mrs. A.P. Athicka from SIDZERN as the Chief Guest, along with distinguished Special Guests Mr. J. Gopinath, AME, DSS, and Mr. Dharmaraj, Proprietor of Sweneha Hotel. They presented trophies and certificates to the winners in both the Boys and Girls categories, as well as to the best performers across various age group categories, as listed below:
Sl.No. Name of the Player Position Selected for National
Boys
1. J S Virat 1st Normal Entry
2. Galav Saha 2nd Normal Entry
3. A Chirag Kumar 3rd Normal Entry
4. S M Dinesh Kumar 4th Normal Entry
5. Ayush Sinha 5th Standby
6. Y Ronnie Ronaldo 6th Standby
GIRLS
1. D Charvi 1st Normal Entry
2. S Sarisha 2nd Normal Entry
3. J Keerthana 3rd Normal Entry
4. G Disha Meenakshi 4th Normal Entry
5. Chittiboina Mageswari 5th Standby
6. S Vidhya 6th Standby

Category Prizes:
Sl.No. Name of the Player Position Name of the Player Position
U13 (GIRLS) U13(Boys)
1. S Varanya 1st Sreedhar G 1st
2. M.A.Mahalakshmi 2nd K Jaivardhan Rao 2nd
3. R Kartika 3rd Rishik Reddy 3rd
U11 (GIRLS) U11(Boys)
1. Krishnapriya B Rajesh 1st R Siddharth 1st
2. S Bhavishya 2nd B Hari Prasad 2nd
3. K Mahi 3rd ACMA Arush 3rd
U09 (GIRLS) U09(Boys)
1. T Vanshika Rao 1st Mohammed Ubaid 1st
2. S Aadrika 2nd Vyom Tiwari 2nd
3. T Aarohi 3rd S Eshaan 3rd
U07 (GIRLS) U07(Boys)
1. N Shreenika 1st B Vignesh 1st
2. R Vaishnavi 2nd R Medanth 2nd
3. K Hemanshi 3rd V K Nuhaan Siddique 3rd
Best Youngest Girl Best Youngest Boy
Gnanashreeka, S T Esanth

All selected players have been formally informed to submit their consent letters for participation in the upcoming national chess tournament by October 22nd, 5:00 PM. Players can submit their consent either via WhatsApp at 9434293379 or in person at the ANCA Chess Centre, Dairy Farm. Failure to submit the consent by the deadline will result in the next participant in the merit list being given the opportunity to participate

 

Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 20: Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Lt. Governor, A&N Islands and Vice-Chairman, Islands Development Agency called on Mr. Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation on Oct.18, 2024 and briefed him on the progress of various Tourism Hospitality, Infrastructure Mega Projects being steered through Islands Development Agency, which are nearing completion in A&N Islands. He also recommended scheduling of next meeting to chart a way ahead for follow on strategies and projects in the next phase.
The Lt. Governor also requested for early approval of Standing Finance Committee (SFC) and Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPAC) for Andaman and Nicobar Administration proposals currently under consideration with concerned Ministries.

Vikramaditya
Mayabunder, October 18: Mr. Abdul Siddique, the former Pramukh of Mayabunder, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the local community to key officials of the NACD, APWD, Mayabunder, for their swift response in repairing a critical stretch of the district road.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily Mr. Siddique commended Mrs. Rajavalli, Executive Engineer; Mr. Abdul Mubeen, Assistant Engineer; Mrs. Kalairaasi, Assistant Engineer, Sub-division No. I; and Mr. Jagdish, Junior Engineer, for their timely intervention and effective action, which greatly improved the road conditions in Mayabunder.
Additionally, Mr. Siddique extended his sincere thanks to the Branch Manager of SBI Mayabunder for quickly addressing the operational issues of the SBI ATM in Lucknow, Mayabunder. The ATM, now functioning smoothly, has provided much-needed relief to the residents of the area.
The combined efforts of the APWD team and the SBI management have been greatly appreciated by the Mayabunder community, ensuring smoother transport and banking services in the region.

Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 16: Ongoing reconstruction work on the busy road stretch from Aberdeen Bazaar to Corbyn’s Cove has become a major safety concern due to careless earth cutting and recent rainfall, resulting in dangerous conditions for motorists, especially two-wheeler riders. The combination of loose earth, rain-soaked surfaces, and poor maintenance has made the road slippery, leading to several freak accidents in the past two days.
According to reports, multiple bike riders have skidded and fallen on the road due to the dangerously slick conditions caused by mud accumulation. While no serious injuries have been reported yet, commuters are increasingly worried about the risks posed by the hazardous road conditions.
The roadwork, which is part of a larger reconstruction project, has been ongoing for several months. However, daily commuters have pointed out the lack of proper precautions to prevent loose earth from spilling onto the road, particularly during the monsoon season. The combination of construction debris and rainwater has created muddy surfaces that are treacherous for motorists. Two-wheeler riders, in particular, are struggling to navigate the slippery road, with several reporting minor accidents in the last 48 hours.
One local resident remarked, “The road has become too risky for anyone riding a bike. The mud from the ongoing construction and the rainwater make it feel like you’re riding on ice.” Many are urging the authorities to take swift action before a more serious accident occurs.
Commuters are urging the concerned authorities to ensure that earth-cutting work is managed more responsibly, with barriers to prevent the soil from spilling onto the road. Additionally, many are requesting that the road be kept clear of mud, especially during rainy weather, to avoid creating slippery surfaces that could lead to more severe accidents in the future.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 15: Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor, A&N Islands & Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency participated in the India Mobile Congress 2024 inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today at New Delhi. During his intervention, Lt. Governor highlighted the need to expedite the ongoing Base Transmission Station (BTS) Project and 4G Saturation Project to provide last mile network connectivity even to the remotest corners. Further, to provide redundancy by connecting additional OFC from Puri (Odisha) to Diglipur was also emphasized. Potential of utilizing New Andamans as a non-polluting manufacturing hub of IT and Telecom manufacturing industries including assembling of mobile phones was also reiterated.

 

Port Blair, Oct 11: A Grand Musical Extravaganza titled “Sharod Jalsaa” comprising superhit Bengali & Hindi songs and exclusive dance numbers, was organised by Atul Smrity Samity, Sri Vijaya Puram with a team of Isles’ renowned singers and dancers on 8th October, 2024 at Samity’s Auditorium on the occasion of Panchami of this Durga Puja.
The show, open to all for witnessing, has been presented under the Concept & Programme Design of Shri Ashees Poddar, an extremely active Life Member since long and ex-Cultural Secretary of the Samity.
The spectacular mega event organized to celebrate 80th Durga Puja of Atul Smrity Samity was hugely successful, which started befittingly by a bhajan based song ‘Mann Re Tu Kahe Na Dheer Dhare’, beautifully rendered by Smt. Monidipa Mukherjee & Shri Ashees Poddar, highlighting our cultural heritage.
The other renowned lead singers included Smti. Ananya Karak, Supriya Kayal, Sujata Roy, Arunima Ghosh, Ms. Amrapali Mitra, Ms. Srijeeta Kayal, Shri Mohd. Nisar, Shri Aboo, Shri Prashant Mitra, Shri Raaj, Shri Dipak Debnath, Shri Shailender Singh, Shri Aktar Hussain, Shri Rajesh Ghosh and Shri Ujjwal Dhali. The front dancers of the show were Ms. Priyanka Bannerjee, Arpita, Shreya, Anika, Sushmita, Smriti, Shayanti, Teesa, Bindu and Mast. Priyanshu. Each and every presentation was highly applauded and selection of songs has been appreciated by one and all.
A number of captivating dance numbers, both solo and group, splendidly choreographed by one of the finest Classical & Contemporary Dance Exponent of these Islands, Smt. Sonali Podder were special attractions of the show. A group dance on the song ‘Deva Sri Ganesha’ was also presented on a powerful performance by Shri. Shailender Singh & Shri. Aktar Hussain, culminating the event in a grand manner.
The show has been flawlessly hosted by the renowned anchors of these Islands, Shri Debesh Roy and Shri Raaj. The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray also graced the evening by his esteemed presence and also spoke on the occasion to bless all the artistes.

 

Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 09: A massive oil rig, Blackford Dolphin, arrived in Port Blair today, towed by the anchor-handling vessel ALP Sweeper. The colossal structure became visible early in the morning, drawing large crowds to the seashore to witness its arrival. The oil rig is en route from Mauritius and will probably be deployed for offshore drilling in the Andaman region.
In recent past, the Oil India Ltd. has signed a contract with Norway’s Dolphin Drilling Ltd. to hire the Blackford Dolphin for exploration activities in the Andaman offshore blocks.