Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 22: The residents of Khudirampur village under Diglipur Tehsil have demanded construction of RCC box culvert 4×4 mtr of 6 cell or a Bailey Bridge over Kalpong with approach road to provide safe connectivity to the people in the area who are forced to cross the river at the risk of their life.
According to information, there is a dire need of an RCC box culvert 4×4 mtr of 6 cells or a Bailey bridge over Kalpong River with approach road in Ward No. 04 of Khudirampur village. The local villagers and farmers have been facing problems crossing the river and transporting their produce as well as cattle. Although the residents have been demanding construction of a RCC box culvert 4×4 mtr of 6 cells or a Bailey Bridge over Kalpong River with approach road in their area for long, and the matter was raised in the Gram Sabha meetings several times and even their plight was listened to by the officers in the past many years, nothing has been reportedly done to remove the woes of the people so far, they lamented. “We have repeatedly approached authorities during successive regimes, but our requests fell on deaf ears. We are scared for the safety of our children who have to cross the river to reach school,” said the locals. They have to face the ordeal in medical emergent situations when they find the river filled with flood waters and no means to cross the river, they rued.
Andaman Sheekha Daily talked to the Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Diglipur Smti Boopathy K.V. Raj and wanted to know more on the matter. The Pradhan said that the residents of this area were allotted land during the year 1989 by the govt. and the area is bifurcated by the Kalpong River and is cut off from rest of Khudirampur village owing to non-existence of a bridge or a RCC culvert of an appropriate size over the river. In absence of a RCC box culvert of proper size or a Bailey bridge, villagers risk lives to cross river for daily needs, she said.
She wrote letters to the higher authorities on the matter on several occasions and each time the Pradhan was assured by them that the matter would be taken up for its reressal, she further said.
Meanwhile, the residents of this neglected area are urging the administration that the concerned authorities should address their plight and consider to construct a RCC box culvert or a Bailey Bridge over the Kalpong River with an approach road to provide safe connectivity to the people in the area.

 

Port Blair, Aug. 21: The Chief Secretary, A & N Administration, Shri Keshav Chandra, IAS, virtually inaugurated the Dialysis Unit at Health & Wellness Center Ramakrishnapur, Little Andaman yesterday in the presence of Ms. Nandini Paliwal, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Health) and other Senior Officers of A & N Administration.
The Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of enhancing healthcare in remote areas, underscoring the Government’s Commitment for improving healthcare accessibility and quality. He further commended the efforts of the team involved in establishing the Dialysis Unit. He also acknowledged the vital role of PRI members in supporting healthcare initiatives at the grassroot level.
The Dialysis Unit was a long felt need of the public of Little Andaman. This will cater to the patients of Little Andaman requiring Haemodialysis, who earlier had to travel to Port Blair for the same. The Unit is equipped with three Haemodialysis machines and trained staff to carry out dialysis. At R.K.Pur, Little Andaman the function was attended by the Pramukh, Little Andaman, Shri S. Parmanathan, Local Officers, Health Staff and representatives from the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Port Blair, Aug 20: In a sincere tribute to the late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, a blood donation camp was organized today at Gandhi Bhavan, Port Blair, by Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, former Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The event, marking the 80th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, saw a large turnout of participants, eager to contribute to the noble cause.

The camp witnessed active participation from the public, with numerous individuals stepping forward to donate blood, reflecting the spirit of community service and compassion.

Among the attendees were key figures such as Mr. Rangalal Halder, the President of Pradesh Congress Committee, as well as the former Member of Parliament, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, senior party leaders, elected representative, members of frontline organisations alongside a large number of local residents.

Neeraj & Prabhakar Rao
Port Blair, Aug 17: In a powerful display of solidarity and outrage, the ANIIMS Student Council organized a candlelight protest march today, starting from Cellular Jail and concluding at Flag Point. The protest was in response to the horrific rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, which has sent shockwaves across the nation. The march, which began at 5:30 PM, saw a significant turnout, with students, health workers, parents, civil society members, and the general public joining hands to condemn the brutal incident.
The atmosphere was sober as participants walked shouting slogans like “We want Justice”, holding Placards & candles, a symbol of hope and justice for the victim.
The march aimed to raise awareness about the safety concerns faced by medical professionals and to demand stricter measures to ensure their protection.
Upon reaching Flag Point, the gathering was addressed by Dr. Pragya Sharma, Director of ANIIMS. In her heartfelt speech, she expressed deep sorrow over the incident and emphasized the importance of security for all medical staff. Dr. Sharma stated, “What happened is deeply tragic, and we all stand united in this moment of grief. In our hospital, we are committed to ensuring the safety of all our students and doctors, regardless of gender. Every child and doctor is equally important to us, and we will not tolerate any breach of their security. We are all in this together, and we will do everything in our power to protect our medical community.”
Following Dr. Sharma’s address, Dr. Suja Antony, Director of Health Services, A & N Administration, also spoke to the gathering. She expressed her profound grief and condemned the incident, labeling it as “shameful” and “below humanity.” Dr. Antony voiced her concerns about such incidents occurring in independent India and emphasized the need for collective action. We stand by our fraternity because this is a tragic incident that could happen to any of us tomorrow. We assure you that we will do our utmost to ensure the safety of our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, and everyone working in hospitals, not only in Port Blair but also in other islands. We also urge the public to show respect to our medical professionals, who serve tirelessly in difficult conditions. This is not just the responsibility of the directors; it is a collective responsibility of the entire community.”

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 12: In response to the widespread attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, in post-Hasina Bangladesh, a massive protest was held Diglipur today.
As per report, a massive protest against the atrocities and attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh was held in Diglipur today. Significant crowd of protesters gathered in front of the Assistant Commissioner’s Office here at around 03:00 pm and shouted slogans. The local police, on the other hand, were deployed at the protest site in view of the protest and to maintain law and order situation. Barricades were placed at the gate of the Assistant Commissioner’s Office and the police were seen standing close to the barricades.
The protesters then started marching from in front of the AC’s Office at around 04:00 pm and traversed all the vantage points in Diglipur Bazaar areas such as Diglipur Police Station, Fish Market, Diglipur main market, Madhupur Road and then they returned from Madhupur Road and halted and gathered in the centre of the Diglipur Bazaar. The protesters while marching shouted slogans: “Bangadeshi Hindu ke upar atyachar bandh karo”, “Bangadesh sarkar jabab do”, “Duniya ke Hindu ek ho”, “Diglipur ke Hindu ek ho”, “Hindu dharmic sthal todna bandh karo”, “Bharat ko Hindu Rashtra karna hoga”, “Rohingya go back”, etc. Then after collecting in the centre of the Diglipur Bazaar, they addressed the public. Addressing the public, the prominent Diglipur BJP leaders delivered their speeches one after one in which they voiced their concern on the atrocities being undoubtedly inflicted on the minorities especially the Hindus in multiple places in Bangladesh and urged the Modi govt. to engage directly with the interim government to end this outbreak of violence, including the targeting of Hindus, and to bring those responsible to justice.

The protest was organized by the BJP, Diglipur Unit and Mr. Asit Baroi, BJP Observer, N & M Andaman reportedly thanked the local administration and police for their cooperation in the protest.

The Diglipur Bazaar remained reportedly closed from 03:00 pm to 05:00 pm in support of this protest, while the local police reportedly remained dutiful and alert during the entire protest which reportedly peacefully concluded, the report further said.

Port Blair, Aug 11: The 32nd installation ceremony of Inner Wheel Club, Port Blair was held at Hotel Sea Shell Corals Cove, Minnie Bay here yesterday evening. The Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Mr. Keshav Chandra, IAS, was the chief guest on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the chief guest lauded the efforts of the members of the Club both past and present and urged them to continue the good work in caring and helping the needy people of these Islands. He lauded the zeal and enthusiasm of womenfolk from different walks of life, who have come together for a common cause to elevate the sufferings of the underprivileged and also for the development of the society through their innovative ideas and perseverance. The Chief Secretary also mentioned about how women have evolved in society over the years and are making significant contributions through various capacities. He also wished the newly installed members good luck in all their endeavours.
In her welcome address, the outgoing President, Ms. Bakhtawar Noble thanked her fellow members for their support in implementing various projects for the underprivileged children, needy women and elderly.
In her address, the newly installed President of the Inner Wheel Club Port Blair for the year 2024-25, Mrs. Neeta Agrawal promised to leave no stone unturned and carry forward the baton in caring for the needy. She also highlighted the theme for this year viz. ‘Heartbeat of Humanity- every beat counts , every action matters’ and sought the support and help of her fellow club members to carry on the work with the same zeal and enthusiasm. She also outlined the plans of the club which will particularly focus on welfare and development of children, women, senior citizens and also creating awareness on various issues.
Mrs. Charu Sreedharan is the new Vice President, Bakhtawar Noble, IPP, Mrs. Pallavi Gupta, Secretary, Priya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, Mrs. Usha Stephen, Treasurer, Rajni Ahuja , ISO and Vaishakhi Khurana, Editor.
The chief guest also released the club bulletin on the occasion. He along with the club member also handed over personal clothing and sanitation kit for girl child inmates of Pranab Kanya Sangh and also felicitated Ms Anuradha Rao, Guide at NSCB Island for her outstanding contribution in serving the community.
A power point presentation on projects during the year was presented by Ms Komal Anand, Past Secretary, IWC.
The programme concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by the Vice President, Charu Sreedharan.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Aug 09: The Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur Mr. Aditya Kumar Asthana, (DANICS) accompanied by circle Patwari Mr. Loknath visited the site of the fire accident close to Subhashgram Fish Market in the afternoon yesterday.
According to a local news channel, the Assistant Commissioner talked to the affected persons who lost their goods and personal belongings in the fire accident yesterday morning. Talking to the channel, Mr. Aditya Kumar Asthana said that compensation will be extended to the families affected by the fire as per NDRF norms. The AC also said that all possible assistance would be reportedly extended to the victims.
When asked if the compensation to the fire victims of Sitanagar Electricity Barrack given yet, Mr. Aditya Kumar Asthana said that the compensation list was reportedly framed as per NDRF norms for the victims of the Sita Nagar fire incident and it has already been reportedly submitted by the administration, and is awaiting approval, he said.