Port Blair, Mar 3: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, President, INTUC and Forest Labour Union and delegates from the Forest Labour Union recently met Mr. Gopal, The Deputy Conservator of Forest (Mill Division).

Mr. Sharma while discussing various issues concerning service condition of the workers and improved working environment, requested the DCF- MD for providing promotional avenue to post of Timber Recorder by making it feeder category post to the post of Assistant Foreman (Yard).

Mr. Sharma also requested the DCF-MD to regularize the services of DRM associated with the Mill Division who are employed since 1995.

The PCC present urged for considering upkeep and maintenance of the existing machinery and up gradation of Chatham Saw Mill he also added that by getting such facilities, the moral and working capacity of the workers will be increased and they will be much more devoted towards the given duties which will be beneficial to the department and public at large.

Mr. Sharma also requested for filling up of 170 odd vacant posts in the establishment of Chatham Mill Division to help the unemployed youths of the isles. Mr. Gopal Singh who has recently taken over the charge of Deputy Conservator of Forest (Mill Division) gave a patient hearing and reportedly assured to do the needful at the earliest possible.

Port Blair, Feb 27: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, President, PCC recently met Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Vice President, All India Congress Committee at New Delhi and appraised him of the burning issues of the Islands. Many issues were raised by him for intervention of the Vice president, AICC among which the issue of Compensation for the Submerge Land found the most important place.

Mr. Kuldeep informed Mr. Rahul that during the devastating tsunami of December 2004 many fields, house plots and commercial plots of the Islanders were submerged. For the submerged Land the administration is providing compensation to the victims at the rate of 9.39 Lakh per hectare. He also informed that according to the recent statistics Port Blair Tehsil has total submerged agriculture land of accounting to 266.29 hectares while the Ferrargunj and Campbell Tehsils it is 583.40 hectares and 320.96 hectares respectively. Total submerged house sites/shop sites in Port Blair Tehsil is 54.74 hectares while in Ferrargunj and Campbell Bay Tehsils are 11.80 hectares and 07.43 hectares respectively.

Further Mr. Sharma informed that many of the farmers have accepted the compensation at the rate of Rs 9.39 Lakh / Hectare but due to their adverse economical conditions after the devastating disaster of December, 2004. He also informed that some of the farmers have not accepted the compensation and are demanding for a hike in the compensation. Further Mr. Sharma requested Mr. Rahul to intervene into the matter and get the farmer compensation at the rate of Rs.18 Lakh/ Hectare and also allow the victims to retain their submerged land as no other land will be provided to them.

Discussing the matter of ANI Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Ltd Mr. Sharma informed Mr. Rahul that the condition of the employees of the organization is pathetic as employees are not even given the benefit of 6th pay commission and are somehow maintaining their families. The Employees feel distressed because they are not being paid their salary for months due to non availability of loan assistance in time. Mr. Sharma requested Mr. Rahul to intervene into the matter to hand over the management to the A&N Administration, which was already accepted by the Administration in principal and pending with the respective Ministries.

Mr. Sharma has further sought intervention of Mr. Rahul on the matter of providing 4% reservations to the Ranchi Community residing in these Islands for which A&N Administration has already sent the details to the ministry. Mr. Sharma has also sought intervention of Mr. Rahul for providing subsidized air fares to the Govt. Employees of the Islands as it is done in North Eastern States.

Port Blair, Feb 06: Prof T K Thomas, Chairman, Gurudev Rabindranth Tagore Foundation, Delhi, appointed Mr. K VENKATESAN, Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Home Science, JNRM, as the Adviser / Honorary Coordinator for The Peace Gong in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Peace Gong, is the children’s monthly newspaper is an endeavour to promote child participation in articulating the issues and concerns of the community.

It is a Media and Information Literacy initiative of the Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore Foundation, New Delhi, partnering with United Nations Volunteers, International Association for Volunteer Effort and Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN etc to publish The Peace Gong.

Through the efforts of Mr. K Venkatesan, children of Andaman & Nicobar Islands will be able to connect with children across the country and abroad. Dr Iqbal Ahmad, Principal JNRM congratulated Mr. K Venkatesan.

Port Blair, Feb 05: The Department of Agriculture, Diglipur Zone organized a five days long training programme on ‘Vegetative propagation of Horticultural Crops” under ATMA at Spices Demonstration farm, Kalighat w.e.f 04th Feb., 2012 to 08th Feb., 2013. The programme was inaugurated by Smti. Yasmin Nawaz, A. O. She urged the farmers to actively participate and to draw maximum benefits by adopting various techniques of vegetative propagation in the near future.

During the technical session, Smt. R.Bhu Bharthy, A.A explained in detail about the techniques of vegetative propagation of horticultural crops by emphasizing more importance on cashew, mango, guava, spices and flowers.

During the practical session the techniques of soft wood grafting in Cashew was demonstrated by Shri Satinder Prasad, A.F.A. in which participants took keen interest by undergoing grafting operations in cashew. Altogether 20 participants participated in the programme including the group members of Sadabahad SHG. The programme ended with vote of thanks by Shri Sushangshu Halder, A.A.

Trinath
Mayabunder, Jan 20: A Career Guidance Programme was conducted by the Employment Exchange Port Blair at MGG College Mayabunder on 19th January 2012. The aim of the programme was to make aware the youths that how they can built their better future carrier, without depending on Govt. Job.

On the occasion the vocational Guidance Officer of Port Blair Employment Exchange Smti. Vimla Venkateswar & Smti Binu K. Assistant Employment officer Mayabunder Exchange delivered inspiring lecture before the students of B.A., BCOM and B.Sc. final year students of the college.

They urged the students that the day has come the youths should have to think beyond the Govt. sector for better carrier. They stressed the youths that beyond the Govt sector, the Private sector today giving better opportunity to the youths.

Smti. Vimla Venkateswar urged the student that why they could not be like Naresh Chander Lal, who completed Film Making Courses and today he established his name in the history of Andaman as well as Indian Film Industry.

More than 150 students Final years enthusiastically participated in the programme.

Port Blair, Jan 08: A meeting of the Zilla Parishad, N&M Andaman, Mayabunder was held under the Chairmanship of Smt Madhuri Giri, Adhyaksha in presence of Shri K. Srinivasan, Up-Adhyaksh, Dr. Vivek Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Members & other officials of Zilla Parishad on 07/01/2013 at 09.30 am in the conference hall of the Old Zilla Parishad (Engineering Wing), near Murugan Temple at Mayabunder to review the progress of civil works constituency wise.

Further, a meeting of Works & Development Committee was also held under the Chairmanship of Shri Naresh Halder, Zilla Parishad Member, Diglipur on the same day & venue to recommend the works to be undertaken by Zilla Parishad on priority basis. .

Port Blair, Jan 08: A Coast Guard Diving Camp was organized at Neil Island from 02 to 04 Jan 13, with an aim to provide exposure to CG divers to marine and riverine terrains while operating with CG Ships.

A total of 25 CG personnel including medical team and logistics support staff participated in the Camp. The Coast Guard divers were given rigorous training, under the supervision of Commandant (JG) SS Sharma, Regional Diving Officer. Practice of diving, free swimming, route march, ground tactical exercise, beach volley ball and water sports were conducted during the camp. The camp safety team provided security cover to the divers at sea to obviate any danger.

The Camp Medical Officer performed a minor surgery on the hand of Gram Panchayat member and distributed medicine to local people, post medical advice. On completion of the camp on 04 Jan 13, the Commander Coast Guard Region (A&N) IG VSR Murthy PTM, TM lit the Campfire and distributed souvenir to the participants.

Port Blair, Jan 07: Intelligentsia quiz fest 2013, a quiz competition for the children of Coast Guard fraternity was organised by Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association, Tatrakshika, Port Blair on 06 Jan 13 at the Coast Guard Indoor Sports Complex, Haddo, as a part of ongoing CG Day 2013 celebrations.

The aim of event was to provide a platform to the children for achieving excellence by developing reading Habits covering academic subjects as well as a wide variety of other national / International issues of General Importance. Inspector General VSR Murthy, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region(A&N) was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Mrs. Jyoti Murthy, President Tatrakshika (A&N) also graced the occasion.

The quiz was held for children in 03 categories namely classes III to V, VI to VIII and IX to XII. A preliminary round was held on 29 Dec 12 in which 45 children participated and 24 children were shortlisted for the finals held on 06 Jan 13. During the finals, which consisted of eight rounds, the children were subjected to questions in various fields to test their level of proficiency by the quiz masters. The winners and runners-up were awarded prizes and certificate by IG Murthy in presence of Commanding Officers and Officer-in-Charge of all CG Ships & Establishments at Port Blair. The parents of all participating children were also present during the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Inspector General VSR Murthy, PTM, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region (A&N), congratulated all the winners and said that the need of the hour is to nurture and harvest the talent in all children for overall personality development, in which parents have big role to play. He also complemented the efforts of Tatrakshika (A & N) for organizing the event in a flawless manner.