Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 04: A massive tree with heavy branches today fell on a residential house at Nayapuram village of Wimberlygunj, badly damaging one bedroom and roof canopy of the house. Luckily no one was injured in the accident.
According to villagers a government contractor was cutting tree in the area, without even trimming the heavy branches as per specified norms, and because of total negligence and lack of precaution the tree fell on the house of P Bapu, S/o Late Kunjamu.
“A third-Party was executing the work and hence margin of profit would have become a major concern for the third-party Contractor. Sadly General public paying the price of ill practices in the APWD,” said a villager of the area.
Villagers demand that the district Administration & EE, RCD should guarantee safety of the life & property of the general public before resuming the said work further.
“It won’t take long for the old & dead trees to collapse upon shops, houses or people. The matter is very sensitive. Neither APWD nor District Administration is taking the matter seriously. People living under panic,” said another villager of the area.
There is of course an urgent need to cut dead and old trees but with precaution. There are more than a dozen dead trees on the roadside at Nayapuram village alone which shake & tremble even on plying of vehicular traffic on the roads.
“It is common sense that a tree should be felled only after pruning the heavy branches first. But the Contractor has openly violated the basic tenets of felling a tree,” said a resident of the area.
Today’s accident could have killed many. Movement of people & vehicles were hindered for long because of the incident.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Mar 04: The Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya today conducted an Inter collegiate IT- festival ‘Techno Vaganza’ , which was click started by the Chief Guest Mr Devinder Singh, Secretary (Education) at 9:35 am.
Principal TGCE, Dr. J.D.Singh, HOD, English, Dr. Francis Xavier, staff and students were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony the Chief Guest Mr Devinder appreciated the efforts of staffs of the college and students. He said that he is very happy to see that JNRM college is having courses like Bachelor of Computer Application as well as Master of Computer Science. He also said that he is very happy to hear that the students of this college are getting gold medals.
In his introductory speech, the HOD, Department of Computer Science, Dr. Vinod N.C briefed about the event and highlighted the performance of students from the department of Computer Science.
He said that the BCA course was started in the college at the year 1999 and after that the college also added MSc Computer Science and this is the third addition of this program Techno Vaganza.
“The first edition of techno vaganza was in the year 2009 and the second was in 2012 and the main motive to conduct this program is that the students are able to meet the students of other colleges and share their experiences,” Dr Vinod said.
The Techno Vaganza-2015 covers various competitions such as Dumb Charades, JAM-Just a minute(Technical), Prasthuti , Bug Hunt, Techno quiz, Ad-Mad. Around 100 students from various educational institutes such as DBRAIT, TGCE, IGNOU, ITI, DDE (AU) and JNRM participated in today’s event.
Earlier, the Principal, JNRM, Dr. Iqbal Ahmad welcomed the gathering and vote of thanks was presented by Mr Rajeev Kumar Tiwari, Assistant Professor.

Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Mar 02: Large number of people residing at Lal Bijan area
today protested against the Administration for removing a statue of Lord Hanuman, installed near a branch road at Lal Bijan, Dairy Farm.
According to reports, on complaint of setting up of a Hanuman statue along the roadside a team of PBMC and staffs from District Commissioner office and Police reached the spot and removed the Hanuman statue from the aforesaid place.
Fearing violence, it is also learnt that police team applied some force to keep protesters away.
The agitating people said the removal would hit the sentiments of the people living in the village.
“From the year 1985 we are offering prayers to Lord Hanuman at the same place. Long back at the same place there was a mango tree and below that there was a Hanuman Statue, where we used to offer prayers there but due to the construction of retaining wall and road the administration had cut the tree and only after completion of road and retaining wall we have installed the statue in the same place for offering prayers,” an agitator said.
“Our motive is to offer prayers and not to construct a temple. We all residents have no problem in that and we all are ready to give NOC,” said another resident of the area.
Finally, after removal of the statue of Lord Hanuman, the residents of the area again kept a photo frame of the Lord Hanuman at the same place.

Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 02: In Andaman and Nicobar Administration even for the post of peon one has to appear in written examination but for the lucrative posts of Post Graduate Teachers there is no written test.
This is yet not clear that why the usual proviso of mandatory competitive Written Test has been exempted in the Recruitment Rules framed for the selection of P.G.T in Education Department when for the post of Primary School Teacher and Graduate Trained Teachers one has to write CTET.
Selecting PGT candidates on the basis of merit of their Academic Marks and Experience are utterly illogical and unjustified. It is, undoubted that the professional efficiency, calibre and eligibility of a candidate cannot adjudge on the mere basis of their Academic Marks since the scores of candidates may have pursued their education in such institutions in mainland having low standard of Education where scoring marks is not a concern.
For example it is very hard to score good marks in Pondicherry University whereas in Distance Education and in some mainland Institutions it is very easy to score good marks. Therefore in this case students from Islands who get marks from Pondicherry University in Graduation and Post Graduation level are suffering the loss.
Hence, further without a fair competitive written examination the real eligible and meritorious candidates would be deprived and discriminated from their due right of employment enshrined under Art14 and Art16 of the COI and would be further ultra vires of Art 16 and Art 14 of the constitution of India, that guarantees every citizen equal opportunity in public employment matters.
Islanders now demand to include the proviso of mandatory competitive written Examination in the Recruitment Rules for the selection procedure of PGTs in the Department of Education, A&N Administration so that the real eligible candidates are not deprived and discriminated in any circumstance.

DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, Feb 26: People of Nishchintapur and Kalighat areas of Diglipur Sub Division today started indefinite relay hunger strike at Kalighat to press their demands for construction of Permanent Bridge between Kalighat and Nishchintapur. About 25 people started the relay hunger strike.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha they said that until the demand of permanent bridge is fulfilled they will continue their strike.

Trinath & Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Feb 24: Lawyers of Mayabunder Court today observed cease work protesting against the F.I.R. lodged against a Judicial Officer of Mayabunder Court.
The President of Mayabunder BAR Association Advocate Tapan Bepari told Andaman Sheekha that the work shall remain in ceased until an Independent judicial Inquiry is conducted into the matter of F.I.R. lodged following a complaint lodged by a lady Police Constable at PS Kalighat.
“The BAR Association believes that the A & N P will not conduct inquiry without prejudice because a Police personal has lodged complaint and they will do everything for the interest of the Police not for the justice. The BAR association believes that It has been pre-planed & it is a conspiracy by a senior Police Officer and some individuals, to malign the Judiciary,” Advocate Bepari added.
Meanwhile the Bar Association of Port Blair also conducted a special meeting yesterday in this regard.
“Proper inquiry should be conducted in this regard. For a Judicial Officer a Judicial Officer should do the inquiry. Second thing is that the victim is a Police Constable and we want that the investigation should be done by an independent body like CBI so that truth comes out,” the Secretary of Bar Association, Port Blair, Advocate Rakesh Pal Govind told Andaman Sheekha today.

Sarthak Kanjilal

Port Blair, Feb 23: Irregular sailing from last two months and insufficient boats for Hut Bay Island has caused bag full troubles for residents of Hut Bay.
According to reports, passengers of Hut Bay are struggling to get the tickets as there is no fixed or proper schedule of boats to Hut Bay at present, passengers allege.
It is also learnt that even tour operators are not taking the risk to send the tourists to Hut Bay. To some extent the trade is also affected in the Hut Bay Islands.
However, talking to Andaman Sheekha, the Director of Shipping Services, Capt (IN) Rajinder Kumar said that this problem is because two of DSS’s inter Island ships, MV Chowra and MV Kalighat are under repair and certification. He assured that soon the problem will be solved as by the end of February, one of the vessels will join the fleet and by early March the other vessel will also join the fleet.
“When both the ships will join our fleet not only Hut Bay but the entire problem of South Andaman upto Campbell Bay will be solved,” Capt (IN) Rajinder Kumar added.

Saket Lal
Port Blair, Feb 19: Andaman’s Golden Girl and Star Cyclist Deborah today won Gold Medal and created National Record in Women’s Elite 500 mtrs individual event in 67th National Track Cycling Championship, being held in Kerala.
According to reports Deborah created New National Record by breaking her own record and clocked 36.643 Sec in Women Elite, 500mts individual time trial.
Meanwhile, the youngest cyclists of the Isles, Master Esaw and Master Ankit Bilong, secured silver and bronze medals respectively in the 500 mtrs time trial, yesterday in the National Track Cycling Championship.