John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, September 22: In a bid to counter the continuous press conferences held by the Congress party, Mr. Ajoy Bairagi, the State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Mr. Vishal Jolly, BJP’s National Executive Member and former State President, led a press conference today at the BJP State Office located at Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Bhawan, Middle Point.
The conference saw the presence of prominent BJP leaders, including Mr. K Ramdas, State General Secretary, and Dr. Devdas, State Secretary. The primary objective of this press conference was to respond to what the BJP perceived as unfounded allegations raised by the Congress Party, both at the national level and concerning the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
One of the central issues addressed during the conference was the deplorable condition of NH4 in North and Middle Andaman, which has been a major concern for the local population over the past couple of years. Mr. Bairagi conveyed that the BJP had taken this issue seriously and had raised it with the BJP High Command and Mr. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India in New Delhi.
A detailed letter accompanied by photographs highlighting the dire state of NH-4 was submitted to the Minister. Additionally, the problem was also brought to the attention of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, leading to a meeting with National Highways Officials and the NH road contractor. During this meeting, the contractor assured that the existing 3.5 KM road stretch between Baratang to Rangat (54 KM), Nimbutala Jungle (11 KM), and Billiground would be made motorable, addressing all potholes.
He claimed that the Chief Secretary also pledged to provide all possible assistance to complete the work. While the contractor managed to complete approximately 08 to 10 KM of work, they failed to fulfill their promise. Heavy monsoon rains exacerbated the road’s condition, making it even worse.
Recently, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) assigned work to three new contractors to repair potholes and one contractor for major repairs. A total of four contractors are currently working on the project. The existing tender for the Baratang to Rangat road work will be canceled within a month, and officials have assured that the re-tendering process will commence by January 2024. The forest clearance for the 11 KM Nimbudera Jungle stretch will be obtained within a month, and the work is expected to be completed by March 2024, as per NHIDCL’s commitment.
Mr. Vishal Jolly, BJP’s National Executive Member and former State President, emphasized the party’s dedication to serving the people. He underscored that the Bharatiya Janata Party is continually striving for the welfare of the underprivileged and recently met Mr. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, GoI. During the meeting, the BJP delegation presented a comprehensive account of NH-4’s lamentable condition, complete with facts and figures.
In response, the Union Minister directed the authorities of NHIDCL to expedite the process of canceling tenders awarded to the contractors responsible for the current state of NH-4. Fresh tenders will be called for immediately, and repairs will be carried out on various stretches of NH-4 as necessary.
Mr. Jolly also highlighted the suffering and mental anguish of commuters in North & Middle Andaman District, specifically pointing out three main stretches with severely deteriorated conditions: 22 KM between Baratang to Azad Hind Fauj, 12 KM beyond Rest Camp, and 10 KM between Kaushalya Nagar to Gate No 15.
Furthermore, Mr. Jolly provided an update on government job recruitment, noting that the Governor and Chief Secretary are diligently working to fill 5,000 vacant positions before the end of this year.

Calicut, September 21: The Sankalp Puja Committee marked its second consecutive year organizing a spectacular Ganesh Chaturthi celebration at Calicut Community Hall. Running from September 19 to September 21, 2023, the committee left no stone unturned in ensuring a memorable experience for devotees.
Daily Annadanam and Bhog offerings were made available on the Community Hall premises, drawing thousands of devotees from across South Andaman. Their overwhelming appreciation poured in as they visited the beautifully adorned pandal.
One of the highlights of the event was the unveiling of the Lord Ganesha idol, which captivated the audience with its exquisite craftsmanship. This remarkable arrangement was credited to the dedicated members of the Sankalp Puja Committee.
The event received a significant boost under the leadership of Calicut village Pradhan, Mr. T Yaghambaram, who earned applause from the general public for his valuable contributions.

John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, September 20: Approximately 22 contractual employees, serving as Vocational Instructors at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, are facing severe financial distress as they have allegedly not received their salaries for the past six months. Among them, 14 are stationed in Car Nicobar, while seven are based in Port Blair.
A few employees, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared their plight with the Andaman Sheekha Daily. They expressed frustration over the continuous delay in salary payments, which has created extreme financial hardships for many of them. Some are struggling to support their families, meet daily expenses, cover medical bills for family members, pay EMIs, house rent, and fund their children’s higher education. Despite their pleas, they claim that the authorities have not provided a satisfactory response.
When Andaman Sheekha reached out to the concerned section of the ITI, an official mentioned that they had recently received approval from the administration in this regard. He assured that the pending salaries would be disbursed to the employees within the week. However, the ITI employees alleged that this was not the first instance of salary delays for various reasons.

Vikramaditya
Mayabunder, Sept 20: The residents of Mayabunder village were confronted with a persisting problem that has lingered for a substantial period – unreliable electricity. Frustrations mounted as frequent power interruptions and an unstable power supply plagued the region, leaving large number of public in distress.
The crux of the issue lay in the old electrical infrastructure of Mayabunder, with some electrical poles standing tall for over more than four decades, bearing the weight of time and wear.
The situation reached a tipping point when a massive tree fell on 17 September, casting parts of Mayabunder into a two-day blackout. Another setback occurred on 18 September when a transformer malfunctioned, once again shrouding sections of the village in darkness.
In response to the mounting discontent, Mr. Abdul Siddique, ex Pramukh of Mayabunder, along with large number of villagers organized a protest against the electricity department yesterday. The gathering was a demonstration of the residents’ dissatisfaction, with students prominently articulating their grievances and the necessity of reliable power to support their education.
Their call for intervention did not go unheard, as Deputy Commissioner Mr. Ankit Yadav (IAS), accompanied by Assistant Commissioner Mr. Ashish Joon, promptly arrived at the scene. Mr. Mahesh Lall, an Assistant Engineer from the Electricity Department, was already on-site. Mr. Abdul Siddique conveyed the challenges faced by residents, especially students who had been consistently disrupted by power outages.
In response, Mr. Ankit Yadav issued immediate directives to restore the power supply. Mr. Mahesh Lall assured that electricity would be reinstated to Mayabunder’s main bazaar area by the following day. This commitment brought a sense of relief to the predominantly student crowd. Subsequently by night power supply was restored in some areas while today power supply was restored in rest of the areas.
Mr. Abdul Siddique expressed gratitude and commended Mr. Ankit Yadav (IAS), Deputy Commissioner N&M Andaman, and Mr. Ashish Joon, Assistant Commissioner (HQ) Mayabunder, for their swift response to the pressing issue. The police, under the leadership of SHO Mayabunder Insp. PK Abdul Arif, played a crucial role in maintaining order during the peaceful protest.