Archives for September 2024

Port Blair, Sep 01: Cybercriminals send text messages pretending to be from trusted sources to get targets to click on links that install malware or steal personal & banking details. It has been observed that Cyber fraudsters have started duping people in the name of unpaid electricity bills. The fraud campaign is being aggressively spread using SMSs. Users tend to be less skeptical of text messages, so Smishing is often lucrative to attackers looking for credentials, banking information, or private data.
• Fraudsters send text messages (SMSs) to the target phone numbers starting “Your Electricity Power will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm because your previous month bill was not updated. Please immediately contact our electricity officer 9898XXXXXX”. Once the victim makes contact with the given fraudster’s number, then the fraudster tries to convince the victim to share the bank account details for the purposes of verifying previous payments.
• Spammers use caller ID Spoofing to make it appear the text is from a trusted or local source.
• The fraudster also asks the victim to install remote access applications like Anydesk, Team viewer, etc.
• Once the victim shares all the information and follows the instructions given by the fraudster, the victim’s bank account is under the fraudster’s control to make fraudulent transactions.
In this regard, Andaman and Nicobar Police issue the following advisory to safeguard yourself against Smishing.
1. Avoid sharing your phone number unless you know the person or organization well.
2. Spammers use caller ID Spoofing to make it appear the text is from a trusted or local source.
3. Avoid downloading software from unofficial sources. Remove non-essential applications.
4. Avoid providing personal or financial information in response to the unsolicited text or at a website linked to the message.
5. Avoid clicking on links in suspicious text; they could install malware on your device or take you to a site that does the same.
6. Report any such incidents on the cybercrime.gov.in portal and follow @CyberDost on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Public, Koo and LinkedIn to know more about safety tips.
For any assistance, information or enquiries, please contact: Cyber Crime Police Station, A&N Islands, over Cyber Helpline No. 1930, 9531856083 or visit cybercrime.gov.in.

Port Blair, Sep 01: The General Body Meeting of Fisheries Sub-Committee of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association was held on 31-08-2024 at Crusade House which discussed various issues pertaining to the employees working in the Department of Fisheries. The issues include (i) Amendment in Recruitment Rules of various categories (ii) Pay up gradation in various posts like Fisheries Field Assistant, Sub-Inspector Fisheries, etc. (iii) Restructuring of posts for better promotional chances. The meeting unanimously elected the new committee for this year with Com. G.Shibu as Vice President, Com. K.Naveen as Secretary and Com. A.Madhav Rao as Treasurer. Apart from this other office bearers and executive members were also elected. Earlier, Com. R.Rajendran, General Secretary of the Association briefed the members about the ongoing struggles by the employee’s front and the recent achievement of assured pension to the employees covered under NPS. He also urged the meeting to raise their genuine demands through the Association’s platform and remain united in their struggles. Com. S.L.Vinjit, Asst. General Secretary and Com. EA Johnson, Finance Secretary also addressed the meeting. Com. R.D.Yadav, Vice President of the Association chaired the meeting. The meeting was attended by several employees working in the Department of Fisheries.

Port Blair, Sep 01: In pursuance to the directions of the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, the Directorate of RD, PRIs and ULBs, A&N Administration under the guidance of Secretary (RD/Panchayat) and as part of the ongoing Kachra Mukth Panchayat Abhiyan, a cleanliness drive was conducted across the 70 Gram Panchayats in the Islands.
The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has made a significant stride towards a waste-free environment with the successful implementation of the ‘Kachra Mukt Panchayat Abhiyan’ across all 70 Gram Panchayats. This initiative, driven by the collective efforts of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members and Government officials including BDOs, EOs, Panchayat Secretaries, VLWs/GSs, MTS, DRMs, Contract Staff and others line Departments, marks a crucial step towards sustainable waste management and the vision of zero waste islands.
As part of this ambitious campaign, each Gram Panchayat conducted special cleanliness drives within their respective jurisdictions. A major focus was placed on the segregation of dry waste, which was meticulously collected and sent to the nearest Solid Waste Management (SWM) Clusters for further processing.
A total of approximately 1650 kgs of segregated dry waste was collected during the campaign. This waste included various materials such as plastic, cardboard, multi-layered packaging (MLP), cloth, tetra pack, glass bottles, and more.
The Directorate of Rural Development, PRIs, and ULBs has been taking constant effort towards achieving the goal of zero waste across the Islands. This campaign is a testament to the collective resolve to maintain cleanliness and promote sustainable waste management practices.
The Secretary (RD/Panchayat) extended his heartfelt thanks to all participants, volunteers and PRI members for their dedication and effort in making the ‘Kachra Mukt Panchayat Abhiyan’ a resounding success. He exhorted the general public, youths, students, civil society organizations to take part in the mammoth campaign and contribute towards a cleaner, greener, and waste-free Andaman and Nicobar Islands.