Archives for February 2025

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 27: Branch MSME-Development & Facilitation Office (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India), Sri Vijaya Puram organized an ‘awareness programme on PM Vishwakarma Scheme’ today in the Conference Hall of Panchayat Samiti Bhawan, Hut Bay (Little Andaman), in coordination with A&N Administration. The event was attended by Mr. Belthazer, BDO, CD Block Office, Little Andaman, Mr. Raja, Up-Pramukh, Little Andaman, Mr. Rakesh, Representative, Rural Department, Mr. Liyakat Ali, Representative, Industries Department, Little Andaman and Gram Pradhans of Little Andaman.
A detailed presentation on the PM Vishwakarma Scheme and various MSME schemes were delivered by Mr. G.K. Sinha, Assistant Director In-charge. The objective of the programme was to increase outreach and enrolments of potential beneficiaries under the PM Vishwakarma scheme especially in the region where there is low enrolments of specific trades, despite the presence of prospective beneficiaries. Also, to create awareness among the existing beneficiaries about the process of availing various benefits under the PM Vishwakarma scheme. The programme concluded with an interactive question & answer session followed by vote of thanks.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 27: The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA) in September 2022 to foster community participation in providing nutritional assistance to TB patients. Under this initiative, donors, known as ‘Nikshay Mitras’, can include individuals, NGOs, co-operative societies, faith-based organizations, corporates, political parties, and others. A ‘Nikshay Mitra’ can adopt one or more consenting TB patients for a minimum period of six months to provide the required nutritional support.
The primary objectives of PMTBMBA are to:
• Enhance treatment outcomes for TB patients through additional support.
• Engage the community in India’s mission to eliminate TB by 2025.
• Leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to aid TB patients.
Active Participation in the Islands:
• Senior Officers of the UT Administration have proactively registered as ‘Nikshay Mitras’ and are actively providing nutritional support to TB patients. Additionally, doctors and staff from the Health Department, officials from the District Administration, other line Departments, NGOs, social workers, business community members, and PRI representatives have also joined the initiative. They are distributing food baskets to TB patients to aid their recovery.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) have pledged to adopt TB patients from the Islands and provide them with necessary nutritional support.
Current Outreach and Call for Participation:
• As of now, 177 TB patients undergoing treatment in the Union Territory are receiving assistance from Nikshay Mitras across all three Districts. Since new TB cases are diagnosed every month, individuals from all walks of life are encouraged to register as ‘Nikshay Mitras’ and extend their support. Those interested in registering as ‘Nikshay Mitras’ can contact 03192-242132 for further details.
• This initiative not only helps TB patients to recover effectively but also plays a crucial role in achieving the goal of TB elimination from the Islands.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 27: State Bank of India, Rural Self Employment Training Institute (SBI-RSETI), Sri Vijaya Puram is going to conduct a free Beauty Parlour & Women’s Tailoring course for unemployed women of A&N Islands and will issue the Course Certificate. Training programme will be conducted by SBI RSETI under the guidelines of the Ministry of Rural Development. BPL (Below Poverty Line) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be given preference. Interested and prospective candidates have been advised to bring the necessary qualification documents between 10 am to 5 pm at SBI – RSETI, 2nd floor, SBI Regional Business Office, SBI Complex, Mohanpura, Aberdeen Bazaar. For further details, one may contact over phone no. – 03192236723 /9474291495 /9933215939 /9474217857.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 27: A male patient namely Mr. Ravi Nair aged about 68 years has expired on 18-02-2025 at GB Pant Hospital. The body of the deceased is kept in the Cold Mortuary of the G B Pant Hospital, Sri Vijaya Puram. No relatives or persons known to him have come forward to claim the dead body till date. The general public/NGO’s/relatives of the deceased may come forward to claim the dead body. If no person/relatives come forward to claim the aforesaid dead body within 07 days from the date of publication of this press release, the Medical Superintendent, G. B. Pant Hospital, Sri Vijaya Puram shall have the liberty to dispose of the aforesaid dead body without any further notice.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 27: As per the directive from the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, to conduct quarterly mock drills in every Department, the Directorate of Disaster Management, A&N Administration conducted the Sixth Mock Drill in the Directorate of Transport, A&N Administration today. This exercise involved real-time earthquake, Fire and Tsunami simulation scenarios to assess the Department’s disaster response capabilities. Mr. Jatinder Sohal, Director (Transport), A&N Administration along with 110 Officials and staff actively participated in the Drill. The resource teams from District Administration, A&N Police, Health, Fire, and Electricity supported the Department for successful completion of the drill.
The Drill started at 1100 Hrs. as per drill scenario on Earthquake felt and received tsunami warning. Accordingly, the Team of Department through the PA system advised the employees to adhere to the Duck, Cover & Hold technique for earthquake safety and after that blew a fire alarm for safe evacuation from the office building to the designated assembly point.
At the assembly point, the Director (Transport), as the Incident Commander, issued directions to all departmental teams to immediately communicate with SEOC, DEOC (S/A), Fire, Police, Electricity, and Health Departments for their support, initiate search and rescue operations for missing officials, and provide immediate first aid to the injured. The resource Departments arrived at the Transport Department and joined the departmental teams in search and rescue operations and first aid. The fire tender extinguished the fire scenario of the drill and ambulances transported the injured persons to the hospital. The Electricity Department restored power supply after receiving the “All Clear Message” from the Incident Commander.
The drill was called off at 1145 hrs, followed by a debriefing session at the Transport Department with the staff, officials, and representatives from resource Departments. During the session, the Director (Transport) appreciated the efforts of all teams and Departments for their support in the drill. He also emphasized the importance of conducting such drills regularly to strengthen the disaster management capacity of the Transport Department.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 27: As per the directive of the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, mandating quarterly mock drills in all Departments, the seventh Mock Drill on Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fire was conducted by the Directorate of Disaster Management in the Electricity Department, EE (HQ), Mohanpura, Sri Vijaya Puram today. A total of 97 officials and staff of the Electricity Department actively participated in the drill.
The drill commenced at 1100 hrs with real-time simulations to manage earthquake, tsunami, and fire disasters in the Electricity Department. As per the earthquake scenario, all staff followed the “Duck, Cover & Hold” position to protect themselves. The Incident Commander of the Department activated all teams responsible for communication, evacuation, search and rescue, first aid, and fire extinguishing. The Department immediately communicated with SEOC, DEOC (S/A), Fire, Police, Electricity, and Health Departments for their support.
During disaster management operation in the Electricity Department, a mock tsunami warning was received. Considering the threat, the Incident Commander ordered everyone to move to higher ground immediately and instructed them to wait for further orders. The successful execution of the exercise was supported by resource teams from the District Administration, A&N Police, Health, Fire, and Transport Departments.
A debriefing session was held after the completion of the drill. During the session, the Incident Commander and observers from resource Departments briefed the staff on their findings and identified gaps.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 27: As part of the Under 100 Days Tuberculosis (TB) Campaign, an impactful awareness session was conducted by the Clinical Research Unit (Homeopathy), Sri Vijaya Puram, for the students of Shakeeba Public School, Bambooflat on Feb. 25. The event was aimed to sensitize the students about Tuberculosis (TB), a disease that still affects millions worldwide.
During the awareness programme, Dr. Farheen, SRF (H) expertly explained the signs and symptoms of TB, providing students with a clear understanding of what to look out for persistent cough, weight loss, fever, night sweats, and fatigue are some of the common symptoms of TB, and early identification is key to preventing the disease from advancing into its more severe stages. Dr. Namita Gopal, JRF (H) highlighted the importance of early detection and the role it plays in preventing the spread of TB.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 27: The Department of Official Language, A&N Administration organized a Hindi workshop on Feb. 25 & 26, 2025 for the employees of A&N Administration and various Central Government Offices. Addressing the inaugural session of the programme, Shri Rajendra Indwar, Deputy Secretary (Official Language) said that A&N Islands comes under Region “A” as per Official Language Rules 1976 and according to the Annual programme issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Official Language, a target of cent percent Official works in Hindi has been prescribed for the offices located in Region “A”. Hence, it is very important that we should try to perform maximum official work in Hindi. In this workshop, 40 staff from A&N Administration and 41 staff from the Central Government Offices participated wherein information about Official Language Policy, Translation and Typing e-tools and Quarterly reports were given. The workshop was conducted by Shri Ajay Singh, Junior Translation Officer.

Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 27: In a significant step toward women’s empowerment and sustainable entrepreneurship, a new eco-friendly initiative has been launched at Ferrargunj Panchayat with the support of the Andaman Nicobar Islands Rural Livelihood Mission (ANIRLM). Eight dedicated members of a local Self-Help Group (SHG) have come together to establish a production unit for biodegradable arecanut leaf plates. Securing a loan from the village organization, the group aims to promote both economic independence and environmental sustainability.
Crafted from natural and renewable arecanut leaves, these plates are available in three sizes—12 inches, 8 inches, and 5 inches—offering an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. These eco-friendly alternatives to plastic plates are biodegradable and offer a green solution for individuals and businesses looking to reduce their environmental impact.
“We are happy to launch this project, as it not only promotes women’s empowerment but also contributes to the preservation of our environment,” said Smt. Pipasha , Community Resource Person for the Self-Help Group. “The demand for eco-friendly products is growing, and we are confident that our arecanut leaf plates will meet this demand while providing the women in our community with a sustainable livelihood.”
The initiative has already garnered positive feedback from local businesses and individuals committed to sustainable living. Orders for these eco-friendly plates can be placed by contacting Smt. Bishaka at 9679584830, and the group is eager to expand its reach to more customers.
This inspiring project showcases how small-scale, sustainable businesses can drive positive change—boosting local economies while contributing to the global fight against plastic pollution.