ANDAMAN SHEEKHA

The True Mirror of A & N Islands

Human Rights Awareness Programme by HRO

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Mar 11: The Human Rights Organization organized a Human Rights Awareness Programme and public meeting at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazaar on 09/03/2012 at 6 pm. Mr. S. Alagarswamy welcomed the distinguished guest and the gathering. Mr. C. Saravanan, General Secretary, who delivered a speech on the different aspects of human rights and also quoted the relevant Articles from the constitution to make his speech more erudite.

Mr. R.Karunanithi, President,HRO gave a broad description on our organization and its functioning at A & N Islands, later he highlighted the problems of public which have been facing by middle class families. Mr. Abdul Majeed, Advisor, Mr. Paulpandi, President, Traders Wing, Mr. M.A.Krishna Kumar, PRO,Haddo, Mr. M.Sekar, President, Youth Wing, Mr. S.Meyyapan, Joint-Secretary, Youth Wing, a large number of public attended the meeting. Vote thanks was proposed by Mr. Senthil Prabhu,Organizer.

Are IPS officers immune to Law??

by Leave a Comment

Jarawa Tourism: Arrest and suspension for constables but safe passage for IPS officer

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Mar 04: The present batch of IPS officers in A & N Islands, have no doubt cracked most of the complicated and crucial cases of these Islands, cleaning Andaman Society for atleast next 10 years.

But the recent case of Jarawa Tourism has brought bad names for the Police Department in national level.

Firstly two videos jarawa dance surfaced in media, in which Survival claimed involvement of Police Jawans. Following which the Andaman and Nicobar Police found two Police constables linked to one of the videos and immediately one of them was suspended and other constable was arrested. But this promptness and strictness went totally missing when news reports were published by local media alleged that a senior IPS officer had taken a group of ladies and a religious guru to Tirur Village of South Andaman to arrange a meeting for them with Jarawa Tribes, on 28 February 2012.

When a journalists from a Delhi Based News Channel called the Chief Secretary on 1st March 2012, regarding this issue, the CS have reportedly informed her that the senior IPS officer have been relieved from his office immediately after the news appeared in media.

But this is shocking to note that neither the police department released any press release in this regard nor filed a case against the IPS officer.

“Why there are two sets of law for lower ranked police officers and IPS officers? Why a case has not been lodged against the IPS officers and all those who interacted with Jarawa at Tirur village? Why the officer was allowed to leave these Islands without any inquiry? This shows that the police department is trying to cover up the entire incident” said a general public.

Perhaps these are the questions, which every islander is asking today. Hope instead of releasing another press release to cover up the incident again, the police department will register a case against the said IPS officer and show the world that IPS officers are not immune to law of this land.

Coast Guard Ships evacuate 99 Foreign Nationals from Narcondum Island

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Mar 04: The Indian Coast Guard on Friday late night evacuated 99 Bangladeshi and Myanmarese Nationals from Narcondum Island, a dormant volcanic Island, situated at North or Andaman and Nicobar Island Chain.

On receipt of information, from Police authorities late night on 02 March, regarding landing of 99 Bangladeshi and Myanmarese nationals at Narcondum Island, Coast Guard Ships were pressed into action.

“As per the communication received from Comdt SSN Bajpai, Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the Coast Guard, ICGS Kanaklata Barua commanded by Comdt(JG) SC Singh and Interceptor Boat C-145 under command of Comdt (JG) SR Nagendran arrived off Narcondum at first light on 03 March and carried out swift operation and evacuated all foreign nationals stranded at Narcondum Island,” Assistant Commandant Poornima Arora, A & N Coast Guard Region informed in a press release today.

The Coast Guard ships reached Diglipur by afternoon on the same day and handed over them to the Local Police at Diglipur.

“The apprehended foreign nationals claim to be Myanmarese refugees settled in Bangladesh and whilst proceeding from coastal area of Bangladesh and Myanmar border to Malaysia in a wooden dinghy had drifted to Narcondum Island due to technical snag,” the Coast Guard PRO added.

Since last three years more than such 400 boat people have reached Andaman and Nicobar Islands, most of them are presently waiting for their repatriation at Port Blair.

Security agencies suspect that these boat people are believed to be a part of illegal International body shopping network.

Education Department asks protesting part-time employees to join duty from Monday

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Mar 03: The Education Department of Andaman and Nicobar Administration has directed all the sacked part-time employees of the department to report to duty on Monday, after 80 of them staged protest infront of Raj Niwas yesterday.

Part time workers including teachers, craft instructors, peons, watchmen and safaiwalas, who had served in the education department of A&N Islands for more than 15 years, some of them 20 years, were removed from service recently as their qualification was lower than desired level, as per new Recruitment Rules.

Fuming part-time employees, headed by the Member of Parliament, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, yesterday staged protest infront of Raj Niwas and demanded to revoke all the employees immediately.

“The new Recruitment Rules mention qualifications, which most of these part time workers serving the department for around 20 years, do not possess. There are ladies and widows in the age group of 50-55 years who have been serving as Aayas with a qualification of 8th Pass. But the new RR mentions the need for a 10th Pass if they wished to continue their service as part time in the department. Is this possible? Is this justice?” questions the Member of Parliament while addressing a press conference at MP office yesterday evening.

“Even if I clear class X in my age, how can I compete with others in next interview with young children,” Sarojini an old lady, who worked as Aaya for nearly 22 years in government school told ‘Andaman Sheekha’. Later the Director of Education met the protesting staffs and asked them to report to duty from Monday.

“I have been directed by my superiors to convey all of you to report to duty from Monday in your respective schools,” Mr. R Devdass the Director of Andaman’s Education Department told the protesting employees. However, he refused to comment anything on the demand to regularize their services. “I thank Administration and Lt. Governor for asking them to report to duty again. However, we will continue our fight for regularization of all part time employees’ services,” the MP added.

Six arrested for stealing government property in Ograbraj

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Feb 28: A team of Police personnel led by SI Sahil Shamsuddin, SHO Ograbraj while on regular patrolling duty around Tushnabad area noticed a Mahindra Pickup truck approaching Tushnabad from Caddlegunj in a suspicious manner on Feb 15. The police party signaled the driver of the truck to stop but he pressed on the gas pedal hard and tried to flee. After a short chase, the pickup truck was finally intercepted at link road junction of Tushnabad. On search of the vehicle 25 cement bags were recovered. On enquiry, the driver and labourers in the truck failed to produce any valid permit/voucher/purchase bill for the cements. The driver and the labourers were put to sustained interrogation. They revealed that the cement bags were stolen from APWD godown of Water Treatment Plant, Chouldari in connivance with Supervisor of godown and security guard on duty at main gate of godown.
The inspection of the godown was conducted by Mr. Prassanan, JE, PHED, APWD, Chouldari who confirmed that 25 Nos cement bags were missing from the godown as per the stock register. The supervisor of the Godown, Tulsidharan, Assistant Painter (APWD) confessed to his guilt and disclosed that the Government property (cement bags) was stolen with the help of one Abdul Sajjad, Pvt. Security Guard, who was manning the main gate at the time of offence.
The stolen property was seized and the accused(s) Tulsidharan S/o Late. Thangappan (51) yrs R/o Chouldari, Abdul Sajjad S/o Mr. Abdul Khalil (28) yrs R/o Ograbraj, Biswajeet Mondal S/o Late Sahshibhusan Mondal (30) yrs R/o Mithakhari, Vijay Soreng S/o Late Jairam Soreng(32) yrs R/o Tushnabad and Srikant S/o Mr. Jeevan (24) yrs R/o Tushnabad were arrested after observing all codal formalities.
The entire operation was conducted under the supervision of Mr. Vinit Kumar, DySP(MA). A criminal case under relevant section of law has been registered at PS Ograbraj and the Investigation of the case is in progress, a communication from SP, South Andaman District said here today.

Greenpeace exposes Letter of Permit racket in Indian EEZ

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Feb 28: For the second time this week activists from the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza exposed illegal fishing practices within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, off theAndaman Islands coast.

Greenpeace claims that tuna long liners, Balaji No. 5, 6 and 9, were in violation of the Letter of Permit (LoP) scheme, being registered concurrently inTaiwanandIndia.

“The LoP scheme allows foreign vessels to fish within the Indian EEZ, provided they have an exclusive Indian registration and Indian owner. Greenpeace informed the Coast Guards and the Ministry of Agriculture of these violations,” Areeba Hamid, Oceans Campaigner onboard the Esperanza informed media in a press release today.

The fishing sector in theAndaman Islands, including traditional fishers have strongly opposed the scheme on the grounds that until now there has been no effective system to monitor the operations of LoP vessels.

“Fishermen assert of various instances of competition of local fisheries for both space and resources. Reports from various fisher unions, especially around Port Blair, suggest that the operation by Thai and Taiwanese fishing vessels in their waters has impacted the livelihoods of several fishermen. This racket is aided by shell companies inIndiathat facilitate the so called Indian registration of these vessels. All three vessels were ostensibly owned by an Indian seafood company but evidence obtained by Greenpeace proves that they are controlled by a Taiwanese company called Long Wang Chang,” Hamid claimed.

The Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace informed that a LoP vessel like Balaji No.5 catches about 60-80 tons of tuna every season worth half a million USD in international markets.

Currently there are 79 licensed vessels operating in the Indian waters. In return they pay 200USD as licensing fees to the Ministry of Agriculture. Public records of the taxes paid by these vessels in previous years do not exist.

These vessels are also allowed to transship their catch—a practice that encourages underreporting since it is self- regulated. This means that they never land any of their catch inIndiathus making it impossible to track.

“This free for all attitude towards fishing for lucrative species like tuna in our waters will surely lead to a total collapse of fisheries inIndialike it already has in industrial fishing nations likeTaiwan. Poor formulation, regulation and implementation of the LoP have made the Indian EEZ an attractive alternative fishing ground. This robbery has been happening right under the government’s nose for years and no action has been taken till date”, Hamid added.

According to Greenpeace the LoP scheme has become a scam at the cost ofIndia’s oceans and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people dependent on them.

“Greenpeace’s investigations on this issue highlight the broader systemic failure of the Indian government when it comes to the management of its seas,” Hamid added.

 

Andaman Gets a new cargo vessels

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Feb 28: A new cargo vessel, MV Raising Glory, has arrived from Kolkata for regular cargo service between Kolkata – Port Blair – Mayabunder. The vessel belongs to Eastern Bulk Company Ltd,8 Lyons Road, Kolkata.

According to reports available here the vessel has a carrying capacity of 3500 MT with 24 containers. The vessel has come like a blessing for Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as it will further augment the cargo link between MainlandIndiaand these far-flungIslands.

OBITUARY

by Leave a Comment

We deeply mourn the sudden and untimely demise of Smt. Kamal Roy, D/o of Late Sushil Kumar Roy, aged 54 yrs R/o of Junglighat, Port Blair who expired on 12.02.2012 at New Delhi. Her funeral will take place at 1.00 pm on 13.02.2012 at her residence. (Near Mitali Book Shop, Junglighat).

Editor & Staffs
Andaman Sheekha

Mega Lok Adalat at Port Blair

by Leave a Comment

Port Blair, Feb 07: The State Legal Services Authority and the District Legal Services Authority will jointly hold a Mega Lok Adalat in the District Court Complex at Port Blair on 11.02.2012 and 12.02.2012. The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jainarayan Patel, Chief Justice, High Court, Calcutta and Patron-in-Chief. Andaman & Nicobar Islands State Legal Services Authority will inaugurate the Mega Lok Adalat at 10.00 AM on 11.02.2012 in the presence of the Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, Judge, High Court, Calcutta and Executive Chairman, Andaman & Nicobar Islands State Legal Services Authority and the Hon’ble Mr. Justice Soumitra Pal, Judge, High Court, Calcutta and Judge In-charge, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Motor Accident Claim Cases, Money Suits, Compoundable Criminal Cases including maintenance cases, cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act and petty cases will be placed before the Mega Lok Adalat for disposal upon consensual settlement between the parties.