ANDAMAN SHEEKHA

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Archives for December 17, 2024

Car Nicobar’s Mus Port Lacks Basic Facilities Despite Its Strategic Importance

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Vikramaditya
Car Nicobar, Dec. 17: Car Nicobar’s Mus Port, located 150 nautical miles from Sri Vijaya Puram and strategically positioned near the vital 10-degree channel, remains in a state of neglect despite its crucial role for merchant ships, the Navy, and Coast Guard vessels.
This passage is frequently used by ships traveling from the East Coast ports of India to the Malacca Strait, one of the busiest maritime routes in the world. However, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has failed to provide basic infrastructure and facilities for the port, causing significant concerns for both maritime safety and operations.
Mus Port plays a critical role as a refuge point for ships in distress and serves as a base for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, which are vital for both merchant vessels and defense forces. Despite its significance, the port suffers from glaring infrastructural deficiencies.
As per sources, one of the primary issues is the lack of fresh water supply for ships calling at the port, as well as the absence of drinking water facilities for passengers who use the port regularly. This not only inconveniences seafarers and travelers but also undermines the port’s ability to function as a reliable maritime hub.
Additionally sources informed that the Mus Port does not have a tug boat to assist ships during docking and undocking operations, which is a major safety concern. Over time, due to a lack of dredging, sediment buildup has further reduced the port’s operational efficiency. Moreover, many bollards, essential for mooring ships, are in broken condition and urgently need replacement.
According to experts, the port also lacks sufficient fenders to protect ships from colliding with and damaging the port infrastructure, putting vessels at risk during berthing operations. Furthermore, the navigation buoys inside the port, critical for guiding ships safely into the harbor, are in broken condition, compromising maritime safety and increasing the risk of accidents.
Given its strategic importance, Mus Port serves as a lifeline for maritime operations, yet it remains woefully neglected. Local stakeholders and maritime experts have repeatedly called for urgent attention to the port’s infrastructure. Immediate measures, including the provision of fresh water facilities, the replacement of broken bollards and buoys, dredging of the port, and the deployment of tug boats, are necessary to ensure the port can meet its potential as a vital maritime hub.

Monkey Menace in Campbell Bay: Coconut Farmers Seek Urgent Action and Compensation

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Rabindranath Biswas
Campbell Bay, Dec. 17: The monkey menace in Campbell Bay shows no signs of ebbing away, and the threat thrown by it is still a vexing problem for coconut farmers in Great Nicobar.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, Shri Prahlad Singh, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Laxmi Nagar, Campbell Bay said that in reiteration of monkey menace in Campbell Bay, he wrote a letter to the Divisional Forest Officer, Nicobar Division, Campbell Bay last month apprising the higher Forest Official of farmers’ grievance owing to the damage of green coconut by the monkey. He said that he received several complaints from the coconut farmers regarding damage of coconut and other crops by the monkeys.
The coconut crop is reportedly the main source of income at GNI contributing to the economy of the Islands, he said in the letter. According to some estimates, there are reportedly over 3500 monkeys at Great Nicobar Islands which is expected to increase exponentially due to favorable breeding conditions, the Pradhan said. Due to the categorization of monkeys in Schedule A of Forest Act, the local population are bound by law, to not to bring any harm to the monkey, Mr. Singh mentioned in his letter.
The people are reportedly generally law-abiding, and never take law into their own hands, he claimed. Time and again farmers reportedly voice their concern about the problems in the Gram Sabha. The problem still persists and little action seems to have been taken by the Forest Department, the Pradhan told ASD.
The Pradhan urged the DFO to depute Forest personnel to chase away monkeys from human habitation so as to mitigate the problems and also to relocate the monkeys to some other compatible uninhabited islands to do away with the menace, he wrote in the letter as said by him.
The current market rate of coconut is reportedly Rs. 22/unit, and other vegetables and fruits also have their own market rates. Hence, the Pradhan made a formal request to the DFO to compensate the farmers as and when monkeys damage the crops commensurate with the prevailing market rates, as demanded by the Pradhan in his letter.
Due to monkey menace, there is reportedly scarcity of vegetables and fruits in the local market, thereby skyrocketing of prices, which in turn affect the poorest of the poor very dearly, Mr. Singh rued.
The Laxmi Nagar Pradhan, urged the DFO to take appropriate action, as deemed fit, to arrest the monkey menace in rural areas under GP Laxmi Nagar and elsewhere in Campbell Bay, he further said.

TSG Bhasker highlights challenges faced by local Civil Diploma and B.E (Civil) Holders in getting tender works under APWD

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: The Chairman of ANTCC Campaign Committee, Mr. TSG Bhasker had written a letter to the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands and Chief Engineer, APWD to bring their attention towards the growing unemployment among engineering graduates, particularly in the field of civil engineering in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In the letter Mr. Bhasker said “While our region is home to numerous talented and qualified engineering professionals, the lack of opportunities in the public sector, especially within the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD), has created a significant employment crisis for Civil Diploma holders and Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) graduates”.

He added that one of the primary issues that exacerbate this problem is the current tendering process followed by the Andaman Public Works Department denying the eligibility of local Civil Diploma and B.E Civil Holders to participate in the tender bidding process which has resulted in qualified civil engineers being unable to secure work opportunities in government projects.

“It is increasingly evident that the tendering process often fails to consider the capacity and expertise of local engineers who are well-versed with the unique geographical, environmental, and infrastructural challenges of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands” stated Mr. Bhasker.

He also alleged the A&N Administration for making such a tendering system that often excludes local people, in favor of larger, often out-of-region contractors which has led to a situation where the employment potential for our local youths remains largely untapped.

Hence, he requested the Lt. Governor & Chief Engineer, APWD to enlist the local Civil Diploma and local Civil Engineering qualification in the tendering process so that the local unemployed youths having Civil Diploma and Engineering can apply.

 

District Consultative Committee and District Level Review Committee Meeting of South Andaman District – September 2024 Quarter

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: The District Consultative Committee (DCC) and District Level Review Committee (DLRC) meeting for the September 2024 quarter was held on 17th December 2024, chaired by Mr. Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman. The meeting took place at the Conference Hall, District Office, with the objective of reviewing the performance of banks under the District Credit Plan for 2024-25, Government Sponsored Schemes, and Flagship Schemes launched by the Prime Minister.
The Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, emphasized the importance of focusing on Flagship Schemes like PM SVAnidhi, PMEGP, and Stand Up India. He instructed banks to meet their targets in a timely manner and stressed the need for greater collaboration in conducting financial literacy camps. These camps should be aimed at educating unemployed youth about these schemes, in coordination with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Additionally, the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman advised the Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) of the State Bank of India (SBI) to include new sectors like Solar Installation and Agar Cultivation in their Entrepreneur Development Program Annual Action Plan for the year 2025-26. The Deputy Commissioner urged all banks to increase loan disbursement under Priority Sector Lending and focus on reducing Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). He also acknowledged an improvement in the Credit Deposit (CD) ratio, which increased by 1.19% to reach 66.84%.
Mr. C Raj, Chief Manager of SBI, welcomed the Chairman and provided an update on the achievements of RSETI. He mentioned that the institute had successfully met its annual target for skill training programs in the year 2024-25.
The meeting was attended by various distinguished guests, including Ms. Jyothi, Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Sippighat, Mr. Tirumalasetti Phanindra, LDO, RBI Kolkata, Mr. P K Ummer Farooq, Chief Manager, UTLBC, SBI, Mr. Ravisankar K, Chief Manager, Lead Bank, SBI, Mr. Rahul Dhamani, DGM, NABARD, as well as senior officials from various banks and government departments.

Andaman and Nicobar Command to Host International Seminar on Disaster Management

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s only Joint Armed Forces Command, will host the second annual Dweep Diksha Dialogue 2024 on 19-20 December 2024 at Sri Vijayapuram. This event marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in the region’s history.

The 2004 Tsunami claimed an estimated 2,27,998 lives across 14 countries, severely impacting livelihoods in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand as well as Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) in India. ANI itself recorded 1,310 deaths and 5,600 persons missing and presumed dead. The disaster caused widespread environmental and economic damage, necessitating regional collaboration to establish shared protocols for disaster response.

The seminar, themed “2004 Tsunami: Lessons and Prospects for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),” will host participants from various IOR nations and from the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Working Group countries. Delegates from Maldives, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Iran, Australia, Kenya, Timor-Leste and Spain are likely to attend the event and will be discussing disaster response strategies and enhance interoperability.

Aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), the event highlights ANC’s commitment to regional cooperation, bolstering India’s leadership in disaster management, and furthering humanitarian efforts in the Indian Ocean Region.

 

37th National under 13 Chess Championship 2024 begins

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: The 37th National Under-13 Chess Championship 2024 commenced today at Sidhu Kanu Indoor Stadium, Durgapur, West Bengal. This seven-day event, from 17th to 23rd December has brought together 400 young talents, including 263 boys and 135 girls, from across India.
Five promising players from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are representing the Union Territory viz J S Virat, Nimish Bantupalli of VKV Port Blair and B Lalith of KV 1 Port Blair in the boys’ category while S Chaitna of Carmel School and B Utkarsha of KV 1 Port Blair are competing in the girls’ category.
The Andaman Nicobar Chess Association extends its best wishes to the participants and is confident they will excel and make the islands proud.

Haj Committee Invites Applications for Trainers for Haj-2025

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: The Haj Committee of India, Mumbai has invited applications for selection of Trainers for imparting training to Haj Pilgrims proceeding for Haj-2025. The Applicants should fill the application form online on the website of HCoI at https://hajcommittee.gov.in/ . No offline application will be accepted. The last date for submission of online application is 22.12.2024(23:59 Hrs).
The norms for selection of Trainers and essential requirements are as under:
a) The applicant should be minimum intermediate/12th pass and preference will be given to Graduates with good knowledge of IT.
b) The intending person should not have any Criminal prosecution pending against him/her.
c) Must have performed one Haj preferably during the last five years.
d) Must be fully conversant and fluent in English/Urdu/Hindi/local language /dialects.
e) Must possess thorough knowledge of logistics and rituals of Haj, Umrah etc.
f) Must be mentally and physically fit to impart training.
g) Must be capable of addressing/giving lectures to relatively large gatherings.
h) Must be computer literate and proficiency to receive/transmit latest
information/messages through email/WhatsApp and other available source of E-Media. Acquaintance with the use of <HAJ SUVIDHA> App is mandatorily required.
i) Trainers with adequate knowledge & skill and previous experience shall be selected.
j) HCoI shall conduct written test to shortlist the participants.
k) HCoI/SHCs shall conduct interview of the persons, who would pass the written test, for their final selection.
For further details, intending persons are requested to contact the office of the Chairman, A & N Islands State Haj Committee, functioning in the second floor of the Directorate of Social Welfare building at Goalghar, during office hours.

 

Veterinary Compounder Vacancy: List of Eligible Candidates to Be Published on Dec. 18

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 17: In continuation to the Vacancy notice published in ‘Daily Telegrams’ on Oct. 19, 2024 for the post of Veterinary Compounder, the list of eligible and ineligible candidates will be uploaded in the website of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services https://ahvs.andaman.gov.in/ and in Andaman & Nicobar Administration website www.andaman.gov.in on Dec. 18, 2024.
Objections and claims, if any, should reach the Office on or before 01.01.2025 in person or through email (recruitmentcellahvs@gmail.com)

 

Eligible Claimants for Compassionate Appointments in Port Management Board Urged to Resubmit Applications

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 17: The Port Management Board, A & N Administration is currently in the process of scrutinizing applications for ‘Compassionate Appointments’ received from the Eligible Claimants. On scrutiny, it has come to notice that many applications submitted in past by the claimant of deceased Govt. Servants while in service in Port Management Board and Andaman Labour Force are not in the prescribed format and lack necessary information/documents.
Hence, all eligible claimants desirous of compassionate appointment in the Department of Port Management Board/Andaman Labour Force have been requested to submit their forms for compassionate appointment in the prescribed format along with all necessary documents addressed to the Assistant Director (Admn), O/o Port Management Board, Sri Vijaya Puram within 15 days from the date of publication, to enable the Department to submit their case to the Administration for further examination and consideration.
The eligible claimant may obtain the prescribed format and relevant details from the Office of the Port Management Board during normal working hours from 8.30 am to 5 pm.

 

Death Mourned

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Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: The Andaman Moplah Service Organization (AMSO) mourns the sad demise of one of great veteran personalities of the Island – Hari Narayan Arora sahab resident of Aberdeen Bazar who has served in various capacities.
He has always been an advocate of brotherhood and peace. Inspite of his ailing health, he had attended the Mulaqat-e-khas event organised by AMSO on 6th March 2023, during which he had shared many yesteryear stories and participated in the programme with great enthusiasm.
His loss is indeed a great loss to the Islands. May he find eternal peace and May God provide strength to the bereaving family members. Hearty Condolences.