Amit Halder
Port Blair, Jan 07: A moped today hit a bus of State Transport Service at Sippighat area, resulting in the injuries of the moped rider.
According to eye witnesses the accident took place at around 8.50 am this morning, when the moped rider, Deepak Roy, was going towards Lal Pahar, Chouldari from Bazaar area. According to report the Bus was coming from Habdipur and at the slope infront of Seva Niketan the moped hit the Bus, while overtaking another vehicle.
The Moped rider, whose left arm was fractured, was shifted to nearby Hospital immediately. He also suffered minor head injuries. The Moped suffered heavy damages.

Port Blair, Jan 6: The much awaited Island Tourism Festival 2016 will begin on Jan 8, 2016 with its formal inauguration by the Lt. Governor, A & N Islands at 6 pm. at ITF Ground. The Member of Parliament, Mr Bishnu Pada Ray will be the guest of honour. This year, the festival will be held from Jan 8-18, 2016. Various competitions such as Healthy Baby show on Jan 12, Flower show on Jan 13 and Dog show on Jan 16 will be held besides added attractions like food courts, fun games, handicrafts, etc.
The performance of the cultural troupes from mainland (East Zone Cultural Centre / South Zone Cultural Centre) will help islanders renew their cultural ties with mainland India. The cultural troupes from mainland as well as local will also perform in outer Islands – North & Middle Andaman as well as in Nicobar groups of Islands apart from South Andaman. This year the ‘Carnic’ festival will be organized from Jan 8-10 at Car Nicobar during the ITF.
The Tourism Department is also arranging programme of celebrity artists in which noted playback singers and TV fame artists will perform. On Jan 9, TV fame artist Amit Sana and his group will perform at Netaji Stadium. Noted playback singer, Mr Amit Kumar with his team will perform alongwith Comedian Mr Pratap Fauzdar at Netaji Stadium on Jan 17. Both the shows will be open for public and there will be no entry fee.
Two bands of artists from mainland will also perform during the festival. One Band of Artists will perform at North & Middle Andaman and another Band of artist will perform at Nicobar Group of Islands. The schedule for North & Middle Andaman will be at Rangat on Jan 13, Mayabunder on Jan 14, Diglipur on Jan 15 whereas the second Band group will perform at Hut Bay on Jan 8, Car Nicobar on Jan 9, Campbell Bay on Jan 11 and Kamorta on Jan 12. The Band will also perform at Wimberlygunj on Jan 9 and at Wandoor on Jan 11 apart from ITF ground on Jan 10.

PK Mandal & DJ Venkatesh
Mayabunder, Jan 05: The New Bus of Anand, which ferries passengers between Port Blair and Diglipur, met with an accident this morning at Basantipur, Middle Andaman. The bus went off the road with passengers and missed a huge tree narrowly.
According to details the accident took place when the steering of the new bus failed at around 9.00 am when the bus had reached near the house of Adhir Mandal of Basantipur, Middle Andaman. The bus was was coming from Hati-Level area of Diglipur towards Port Blair.
Luckily no passengers were injured. Later most of the passengers were adjusted in SS Transport Bus which was coming towards Port Blair from Diglipur while some passengers who were scared to travel again came back to Diglipur via local buses. There were about 40 passengers, when the accident occurred.

Port Blair, Jan 01: The year 2016 has started with a good news. According to the Department of Civil Aviation the Air India has confirmed to operate increased frequency of chartered flights for A & N Administration on Chennai-Port Blair-Chennai Sector on every Wednesdays and alternate Saturdays (1st,3rd & 5th Saturdays) from 6th January 2016 upto 31st December, 2016. As per details AI-3787/3549 will Departure from Chennai at 1030 hrs and arrive Port Blair at 1240 hrs while in return AI-3788/3550 will depart from Port Blair at 1320 and reach Chennai at 1535 hrs.
Initially, advance ticketing will be done for the flights scheduled to operate on the following dates till March, 2016.
1st January, 2016 to 31st March, 2016
January, 2016 February, 2016 March, 2016

6th January, 2016
(Wednesday) 3rd February, 2016
(Wednesday) 2nd March, 2016
(Wednesday)
13th January, 2016
(Wednesday) 6th February, 2016
(Saturday) 5th March, 2016
(Saturday)
16th January, 2016
(Saturday) 10th February, 2016
(Wednesday) 9th March, 2016
(Wednesday)
20th January, 2016
(Wednesday) 17th February, 2016
(Wednesday) 16th March, 2016
(Wednesday)
27th January, 2016
(Wednesday) 20th February, 2016
(Saturday) 19th March, 2016
(Saturday)
30th January, 2016
(Saturday) 24th February, 2016
(Wednesday) 23rd March, 2016
(Wednesday)
30th March, 2016
(Wednesday)

Passengers intending to travel from Port Blair to Chennai and from Chennai to Port Blair on above flights can book their tickets in advance at the Inter-Island Helicopter terminal, VIP Road, Port Blair between 09 AM to 4 PM on all working days from 4th January, 2016 onwards. A total of 66 General Quota tickets for the Islanders and 13 Non-Islanders tickets for travel from Port Blair to Chennai and 33 tickets for travel from Chennai to Port Blair in each flight can be booked from the counter at Port Blair. Besides, tickets for sector Chennai to Port Blair can also be booked at the Directorate of Shipping Services counter at Chennai, No.5 Rajaji Salai, near Custom House, Chennai.

Port Blair, Dec 31: The Port Blair Municipal Council, today the 31st December 2015 bid farewell to two of its employees namely Shri.Rampal Gobind, Higher Grade Clerk and Shri. Abdu, Work Assistant attached to Establishment section and Works section of the Council respectively.
At a simple function, the Senior Vice Chairperson, Smti S. Usha handed over all the cheques of retirement benefits including cash equivalent, gratuity and other monetary benefits.
The Sr. Vice Chairperson also presented mementoes to the retired employee. The Officials of the Council were also present on the occasion. While Speaking on the Occasion, the Administrative Officer of the Council recalled the valuable services rendered to the Council by the two employees and wished them happy and a healthy post retired life.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Dec 30: Nearly 45-50 Aayas working in Govind Ballab Pant Hospital under an outsourced agency, Gorkha Security Services have staged a dharna in front of DHS this morning, protesting against not getting salary from last three months.
The Aayas allege that they haven’t received the salary for last three months from Gorkha Security Services. Many broke into tears while talking to Andaman Sheekha.
“The outsourcing agency of DHS i.e Gorkha Security Services deducts Rs 840 every month from our salary in the name of Employees Provident Fund but they never gave us any receipt or paper regarding such deposits. If we ask them for receipt they refuse to give it and threaten to terminate us from job,” alleged a worker.
This is not the first time when the workers working under of Gorkha Security Services went on strike. Such strikes by workers working under GSS were seen twice this year.
However, Andaman Sheekha has learnt that the strike was withdrawn this afternoon after the workers got a written assurance from the company that by tomorrow they will receive all the pending salaries.
The question is why the Director of Health Services is silent in this issue? Why such agencies are given contract, which are openly exploiting poor employees? Are all rules of outsourcing followed by the private company? There are many question but no answer.
The Director of Health Service informed Andaman Sheekha through her PS that she is too busy to give reply in any media question. Surprisingly the Lt. Governor is always available to comment on any crucial issue but HoDs of his administration remain too busy to reply to simple question which are related to problems being faced by common man.