VOL: 35 n ISSUE: 15 n FRIDAY n 7 OCTOBER 2011 PORT BLAIR n Rs. 5.00 n PAGES 8 n RNI No. 28480/75

POSTAL REGN NO. PBLRNP/08/2008-2010www.lightofandamans.blogspot.com

Durga Puja Going Commercial ................................................... 2

Interview: Stemming the Rot .................................................... 4

AE’s Quarter Renovation: Whither Regulation? ....................... 5

Pauper’s Log: Thirsty Paradise: Natural or Manmade? .......... 5

Editorial: ANIIDCO’s Miscalculated Step ................................... 6

ICMR to Fund Study on Morning After-Pill Use ........................ 6

ACCI to organise Marathon for Cleaner Andamans ................ 7

Chalte Chalte: The Message of ‘Purf’.......................................... 8INTERVIEW: A NEDUNCHEZIYAN, Dir of Panchayat

2 |isles|NEWS THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

BYBASUDEVDASS

Forget about day to day life,even the religious rites arealso becoming commercial.

Gone are the days when involve-ment of individuals with associa-tions organising in puja activitieswas distinctly visible. Now almostevery action is accomplishedthrough outsourcing. On hire, thecooks are there to prepare'Prasad', a team of caterers toserve the Anna-prasad to rev-ellers, team of decorators doingtheir part of job of lighting andsound etc. A few rites like immer-sion and 'Pushpanjali' (paying flo-ral respect to the God/Goddessremaining on fast till pushpanjaliis offered) remained, which too,in future, may also find a com-mercial way where the multitude

of reverential devotees may getthe blessings of the God throughoutsourcing. The word'Sarbojanin' (Sab Jano ka-By allpeople) is fast losing its meaningand heavyweights are entering inthese arenas too.

The much awaited Durga-PujaFestival by all islanders irrespec-tive of language and religion is los-ing its religious majesty but gain-ing commercial attractionthrough more investment andbetter returns. The days may notbe far when we too might havepuja pandals like Kolkata, Delhi,Oddisa with no heart but illustri-ous show of decoration and alsopower. It will become mere exhi-bition-stalls to be visited.

The five day Durga puja festivalis over. No reported untowardincident has been recorded. The

weather-god also cooperated spe-cially on the day of Mahanavamion 5th October when the devo-tees and revelers had a non rainy-day to visit various puja pandals inand around city. Many peoplewere caught unaware since roadswere closed or diverted at manyplaces as a part of traffic manage-ment without any prior notice bythe Traffic Police. People had to

Durga Puja GoingCommercial!

make big rounds to reach theirown house where as the housewas within a stone throw dis-tance. The permission for everyPuja Pandals are given well inadvance by holding meetingsinvolving district authorities andTraffic Police and so the necessaryarrangements could, rathershould have been notified inadvance. However, the people

were too accommodative realiz-ing the puja atmosphere with theequally cooperative traffic person-nel.

The deities were immersed onthe Dussehera day with the hopethat the Goddess Durga will takeaway with her all the ills fromeveryone's life and will bring abetter future next time when shewould come back.

3 |cover|STORY THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

You cannot do away with them as they are an integral partof our democratic setup. Everyone seeks to empower them,as they are the only face of political autonomy in ourIslands. But, even after 15 years of 73rd ConstitutionalAmendment, late Rajiv Gandhi's vision of empowering thevillagers of rural India remains a distant dream.

BYZUBAIRAHMED

You cannot do away withthem. They are an integralpart of our democracy.

Everyone seeks to empower them,as they are the face of politicalautonomy in our Islands. Evenafter 15 years of 73rdConstitutional Amendment, lateRajiv Gandhi's dream of empower-ing the villagers of rural Indiaremains a vain hope. First 10 years,it was purely experimental, whereboth the administration and thePRIs messed up, at many occa-sions. When Administration triedto rein them, they were powerfulenough to fly two cabinet minis-ters from Delhi and get their wayout from the trap.

The relationship between PRIsand the Administration was notalways a courteous one. Tworeports on the functioning of thePRIs in the Union Territory - oneby Third Finance Commission andthe second by NABCONs spon-sored by NABARD brings forthtwo different versions of the lastfifteen years of PRI system.

The Administration has wokenup from a deep slumber after along 15-year leash given to thePRIs to function according to theirwhims and fancies. It realized thatall is not well in the system and itrequires immediate plugging ofthe existing loopholes. The Grant-in-Aid Rules are being amended.Many strict and stern actions arerecommended as preventivemeasures to check embezzlementof funds. Regulations too areamended to check favoritism. Acap of 30% for purchases out ofGIA -General Fund is also recom-mended by the Directorate to con-trol unrestrained purchases.

The attitude of the PRIs towardsthe proposed changes is very cau-tious one. They are a frightened lotnow. Nobody dares to raise theirvoice for just or unjust causes.They are intimidated by everyone,technically and bureaucratically.The reason is obvious- they haveput themselves in such a quandaryby their own irresponsible actions.Within a year of assuming charge,

a good number out of them haveembezzled funds as much as possi-ble. Purchases of streetlights, dust-bins and stationery worth lakhsshow their insatiable greed. Thewhole PRI system works in acoterie. From top to bottom, thelink is visible with set percentagesand cuts nicely engraved in eachwork order and purchase order.

It's a fact that they have beenelected for a term of 5 years by theelectorate. And they should begiven the freedom to rule the com-plete term. Proper check and bal-ance mechanism should be atplace to keep them under theambit of rules and regulations.Everyone knows that GramSabhas have utterly failed to con-trol corruption. When the GPssubmit monthly expenditurereport, why can't they be heldaccountable if excess purchasesreflect in the report? A query is suf-ficient to put a stop to the unbri-dled greed.

It is a proven fact that the PRIscan be easily tamed. "We are likedonkeys. He, who twists our ear,leads us" said a very seniorPanchayat Member about theworking of the Gram Panchayat;and that about sums up the waythe village Panchayats generallywork; with slight variations hereand there. The level of ignorance,indifference and general apathyamong the villagers, the wardmembers and even somePradhans of the Panchayats wasappalling, to say the least.

The advent of RTI and the largequantity of ammunition from thelast fifteen years have empoweredthem enough to go for Hara-kiriagainst each other. The courtcases, disqualifications and arrestsof PRIs including the technical andadministrative staff are notbecause someone wants the sys-tem to be clean. It's the by-productof their hara-kiri. If the intentionswere right, one would have seenthe same persons who filed theRTI application and filed casesagainst the corrupt PRIs perform-ing honestly. But, the case is differ-ent.

Gram Sabhas have also failed to

address the problem of corruptionin the right sense. The NABARDreport suggests that Social Auditsof PRIs are mandatory as per the73rd constitutional Amendment1993, through which the villagecommunities are empowered toconduct - social audit of all devel-opment works in their respectivevillages and the concerned author-ities are duty bound to facilitatethem. The social audits are expect-ed to contribute to the process ofempowerment of beneficiariesand generate demand for theeffective delivery of programmes.

The instruction requires that spe-cial Gram Sabhas be arranged toconduct social audit in every wardand that Social Audits of all ongo-ing development works be includ-ed as an item of discussion in everyGram Sabha meeting.

Moreover, the PRIs are a con-fused lot, with many fathers.Sometimes the DeputyCommissioner summons themand hands over a list of things to bedone, not even bothered what theRules and Regulations say. Theissue of sanitation, which is neverattended by the Gram Panchayatis such a case. The DC, SA toldthem that Panchayat will collectand segregate the garbage; Samitiwill shift it to the dumping groundprepared by the Zilla Parishad.The whole setup failed as there

was no coordination between thethree tiers. How did DC issue suchan order when the Regulation sayssomething else? The ChiefSecretary in a meeting said thatsanitation is a subject of GramPanchayat, and most of the GPsare still waiting for an order clari-fying it.

PRIs complain that there isacute shortage of staff in each tier.The Third Finance Commissionhad recommended that Admn toimmediately transfer all imple-mentation, regulatory, advisoryand other functions to the localbodies as envisaged in theConstitutional provisions for thefunctions to be devolved to thelocal bodies. The Admn shouldalso ensure availability of mini-mum staff strength for which theywill either bear the expenditure ortransfer adequate funds. Controlof staff should have been vested inlocal bodies. However, it stillremains a pipedream.

It can be seen that only someheadway has been made in devo-lution of funds, functions andfunctionaries to the institutions.The progress is rather slow andoften tardy. This process on papergathered momentum in 2006when administrative orders wereissued to transfer constitutionallymandated twenty nine functionsto these institutions. However,even today this administrative fiathas not been translated into actionat the ground level in letter andspirit. In many cases the devolvedfunctions are still being done bythe administrative departments.The funds for all these functionshave not been fully devolved. Allofficials have also not been sent tothe local bodies and those that aretransferred, in most cases are con-trolled by their respective adminis-trative departments.

A case in point is the agriculturedepartment, which has taken apositive step and transferred itsfunctionaries to the PRIs.However, its not clear why the pur-chase of fertilizer still vests withthe department, when the depotscome under Gram Panchayat? Anofficial said that fertilizer is a "dirtybusiness" which nobody is inter-ested in. But, a PRI representativetold LOA that its one of the lucra-tive trade and they don't want tolose it.

Another issue is related withElectricity department, whichrecently issued notices to around15 Panchayats for settlement ofoutstanding dues of power bill forstreetlights. Ferrargunj Panchayat

had accumulated dues of Rs 42lakhs. These are issues which arealways pushed under carpet whenPRIs raise it in meetings.

There is widespread complaintabout the release of grant-in-aid.The cost index is outdated and itneeds to be updated, said a PRImember. The NABARD report tooobserved that the grant-in-aidreleased to the three-tier systemwas arbitrary without any basis.The report says, "A cursory view ofthe statements showing totalgrants released to different GramPanchayats since the year 2002-03 reveal that the distribution offunds amongst the different GramPanchayats and PanchayatSamities have never been arrivedat on the basis of any of the objec-tive criteria set in the PanchayatRegulations as laid down. It wasfound that instead the allocationsfor the general grants-in-aid, roadsand water schemes have more orless been equally divided amongstthe 67 Gram Panchayats irrespec-tive of the size, population,remoteness etc of the respectiveGram Panchayats."

A Neduncheziyan, after takingcharge of the department hastaken drastic steps to reform thewhole system. With the rearrange-ment of technical staff and freeingthe engineering wing from theclutches of Zilla Parishad has to anextent solved the issue of underutilization of funds which wereearlier ascribed to the delays inaccording technical sanction tothe individual schemes by theEngineering Staff which wereplaced at the command of the ZillaParishad.

However, the technical wingstill enjoys same kind of patron-age, which the earlier EngineeringWing of Zilla Parishad enjoyed inconnivance with the concernedofficials. Usage of vehicles by thetechnical wing has been given afree hand, where the bills are foot-ed from the contingency fund ofpanchayats and samitis. The reno-vation of a quarter with fundsdiverted from Panchayats alsohappened under the nose of theDirectorate.

A Neduncheziyan was opti-mistic when he told LOA that theyare on the right track and the dras-tic changes will be visible in a cou-ple of years. Someone is in chargenow and let's hope that PRIs doesnot become Pariahs in literal senseand they too take in control thesystem for the welfare of ruralareas.

Electricity depart-ment recently

issued notices toaround 15

Panchayats for set-tlement of outstand-ing dues of powerbill for streetlights.These are issueswhich are alwayspushed under car-pet when PRIs raise

it in meetings.

PRIs or Pariahs

4 |cover|STORY THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

BYZUBAIRAHMED

TToo bbeeggiinn wwiitthh,, ssaanniittaattiioonn aannddddiissppoossaall ooff ssoolliidd wwaassttee iinn vviillllaaggeessiiss aa mmaajjoorr iissssuuee ttooddaayy.. EEaarrlliieerr,, tthheeDDeeppuuttyy CCoommmmiissssiioonneerr,, SSoouutthhAAnnddaammaann hhaadd ssttaatteedd tthhaatt tthheeGGrraamm PPaanncchhaayyaatt wwiillll mmaakkeeaarrrraannggeemmeennttss ttoo ccoolllleecctt ggaarrbbaaggee,,PPaanncchhaayyaatt SSaammiittii wwiillll sshhiifftt tthheeggaarrbbaaggee ttoo tthhee dduummppiinngg ggrroouunnddssmmaannaaggeedd bbyy ZZiillllaa PPaarriisshhaadd.. TThheeaarrrraannggeemmeenntt ffaaiilleedd.. TThheerree iiss ccoonn--ffuussiioonn oonn tthhee ggrroouunndd..

The Panchayat Regulationclearly says that sanitation andgarbage disposal is the subject ofGram Panchayat. I am awareabout the minutes of the meetingheld by the DeputyCommissioner. But, GramPanchayat has to keep their areaclean. They have been providedfund for that. They should identi-fy sites to dump the waste andmake arrangements for trans-portation too. If the fund is insuf-ficient they can come to us.Besides, we have approachedGovernment of India to imple-ment Total Sanitation Campaign.We have requested for Rs 35crores to create dumping groundsand solid waste management sys-tem. This is apart from the regularfund. There should not be anyissue on this subject. It's veryclearly mentioned in the regula-tion.

WWhhyy ddooeess tthhee DDiirreeccttoorraattee oorr tthheeaauutthhoorriittiieess wwaaiitt ffoorr ssoommeeoonnee ttoommaakkee aa ccoommppllaaiinntt ttoo ttaakkee aaccttiioonnaaggaaiinnsstt ccoorrrruupptt PPRRII mmeemmbbeerrss?? IIffnnoo oonnee ffiilleess aa ccoommppllaaiinntt,, tthhee eelleecctt--eedd mmeemmbbeerr ggooeess ssccoott--ffrreeee aafftteerr hhiisstteerrmm.. IIss tthhiiss jjuussttiiffiieedd?? WWhhyy ccaann''ttyyoouu hhaavvee aa mmoonntthhllyy oorr qquuaarrtteerrllyymmoonniittoorriinngg ssyysstteemm lliikkee MMGGNNRREE--GGAA ttoo kkeeeepp aa ttaabb oonn uuttiilliizzaattiioonn ooffffuunndd??

The Panchayati Raj Institutionswith the three-tier system shouldfunction independently withoutany interference. Gram Sabhashould conduct social audit to

check any kind of deviation fromthe set rules and regulations. But,the mechanism in most cases hasproved ineffective. Hence, wehave suggested many changes inthe rules. We have incorporated

many preventive measures andstringent rules to check corrup-tion. Regular monitoring andaudits will be carried out and it'sgoing to be a regular feature nowonwards. Once elected as mem-ber, they cannot go scot-free evenafter five years. The issue is thatself-autonomy is not compro-mised. Their power has beenenhanced and they will be given afree-hand to rule. But, the vigi-lance monitoring aspect will bestrengthened. There will be regu-lar monitoring of their expendi-ture.

TThheerree iiss aa wwiiddee ccoommppllaaiinntt tthhaattyyoouu iissssuuee oorrddeerrss vveerrbbaallllyy aannddnneevveerr ggiivvee iinnssttrruuccttiioonnss iinn wwrriittiinngg??

It's a misleading statement. Ifwhat I speak is there in regulation,why should I give it in writing? In

case of emergency, if I give verbalinstruction, they can send backthe file with my instruction for myapproval. Those who complainwant to save their skin.

TThhee rreeaarrrraannggeemmeenntt ooffTTeecchhnniiccaall WWiinngg wwaass aa mmaajjoorr sstteeppttaakkeenn aafftteerr yyoouu ttooookk cchhaarrggee ooff tthheeDDiirreeccttoorraattee.. WWaass tthhaatt aann eeaassyyddeecciissiioonn??

Not an easy decision. I had toput a lot of effort to clean the sta-ble. We were not even given prop-er space for office. The presentDirectorate building was underZilla Parishad. We had to fight to

get the space back.

YYoouu ttaallkk ooff ddeevvoolluuttiioonn ooffppoowweerr,, wwhheerreeaass,, ssttiillll,, tthhee eexxeeccuu--ttiivvee ssttaaffff oorr tthhoossee oonn ddiivveerrtteeddccaappaacciittyy ffrroomm vvaarriioouuss lliinnee ddeeppaarrtt--

Interview: A Neduncheziyan, Director, Panchayats

Stemming the Rot A. Nedunchezhiyan, Director, RD,PRIs and ULB is on a cleaningspree. Loads of changes are on theanvil to check the cancerousmalaise called corruption involvingPanchayati Raj Institutions. Makingclear his stand, he said that he isnot here to make the Panchayatswork, but whatever they do, theyneed to do it diligently with utmostaccountability. In a freewheelinginterview, he spoke to The Light ofAndamans on various issues relatedto the major changes he has initiat-ed to bring accountability to thePanchayati Raj Institution.

“We have incorporated many preventive measures and stringentrules to check corruption. Regular monitoring and audits will be car-ried out and it's going to be a regular feature now onwards. Once anelected member, they cannot go scot-free after five years. The issue

is that self-autonomy is not compromised. Their power has beenenhanced and they will be given a free-hand to rule. But, the vigi-

lance monitoring aspect will be strengthened. There will be regularmonitoring of their expenditure.”

mmeennttss ddoo nnoott rreeppoorrtt ttoo tthhee eelleecctteeddPPrraaddhhaann.. TThheeyy rreeppoorrtt ttoo tthheePPaanncchhaayyaatt SSeeccrreettaarryy oorr tthheeEExxeeccuuttiivvee OOffffiicceerr??

There are two aspects. ThePramukh of Panchayat Samiti isthe Head of the Institution andthe Executive Officer is the Headof the Office. Even if the JuniorEngineer reports to thePanchayat Secretary, JE isresponsible to the GramPanchayat through him. TheAssistant Engineer althoughreports to the Executive Officer,he is ultimately responsible to thePanchayat Samiti. This is done forsmooth functioning of the office.

IItt iiss lleeaarrnntt tthhaatt yyoouu hhaavvee pprroo--ppoosseedd cchhaannggeess iinn tthhee RRuulleess??WWhhaatt aarree tthhee ssaalliieenntt cchhaannggeess pprroo--ppoosseedd??

Yes, we have incorporatedmany changes in the Rules. It isyet to be endorsed by the Admnand we hope that within twoyears, there will be drasticchanges in the functioning of PRI.Our major focus was on account-ability of the PRI members as themoney given to them is meant fordevelopment. It should not bediverted to be siphoned off.Monitoring and preventive mech-anism has been strengthenedwith regular watch on their activ-ities and the penal action againstviolators is also suggested. Wehave also proposed that the bene-ficiary of developmental workshould not be a single householdor family. In many cases, the rela-tives of the PRI members becomebeneficiaries of many projects,which need to be checked.

IIff tthheerree iiss aa ddiirree nneeeedd wwhheerree tthheebbeenneeffiicciiaarryy iiss aa ssiinnggllee ffaammiillyy aannddtthhee GGrraamm SSaabbhhaa ppaasssseess tthhee wwoorrkk..

It depends upon Gram Sabha,if they have no problem, and insuch cases they can carry out thework. The Rule is incorporated toprevent misuse and violations.

IItt hhaass aallssoo ccoommee ttoo lliigghhtt tthhaattyyoouu hhaavvee pprrooppoosseedd aa ccaapp ooff 3300%%ffoorr ppuurrcchhaassee iinncclluuddiinngg eenneerrggyybbiillllss ffrroomm GGIIAA --GGeenneerraall FFuunndd.. DDooyyoouu tthhiinnkk tthhee aammoouunntt iiss ssuuffffii--cciieenntt??

Before taking a decision on thisaspect, we had carried out a widestudy of all panchayats and fixedthe cap on purchase. However, it'snot yet final. But, we believe thatthe amount of 30% is sufficientand the energy bills are not morethan Rs 4 Lakhs annually.

YYoouu hhaavvee ppuutt aa lliimmiitt oonn uussaaggee ooffvveehhiicclleess bbyy tthhee PPRRII hheeaaddss,, wwhheerree--aass,, AAEEss aanndd EEEEss ccaann uussee tthhee vveehhii--cclleess uunnlliimmiitteedd.. IIss iitt jjuussttiiffiieedd??

Yes, I don't think there shouldbe a limit for the usage of vehiclefor the technical staff as they haveto make frequent visits to thework sites as well as panchayatsfrom Diglipur to Beodnabad in

5 |cover|STORY THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

Thirsty Paradise: Natural or Manmade?

PAUPER’S LOG |ABU ARSH

South Andaman.

TThhee qquuaarrtteerr ooff AAEE llooccaatteedd iinnJJuunngglliigghhaatt wwaass rreennoovvaatteedd uussiinnggffuunnddss ddiivveerrtteedd ffrroomm PPaanncchhaayyaattssiinn FFeerrrraarr GGuunnjj TTeehhssiill.. IIss iitt nnoott vviioo--llaattiioonn ooff RReegguullaattiioonnss??

I am not aware of this issue. Iwill look into it. However, theestablishment needs fund forfunctioning. It can be met fromthe 5% contingency ofPanchayats. But, I will look intothe matter and see if there is anyviolation.

PPaanncchhaayyaatt SSeeccrreettaarriieess ccoomm--ppllaaiinn tthhaatt tthheeyy aarree oovveerrbbuurrddeenneeddwwiitthh rreessppoonnssiibbiilliittiieess ooff ttwwoo ppaann--cchhaayyaattss?? TThheerree iiss ssttaaffff sshhoorrttaaggee aattaallll lleevveellss.. WWhhyy aarree yyoouu nnoott ffiilllliinnggppoossttss??

The complaint is from regularPanchayat Secretaries. Thosewho have joined on deputationhave no complaints and are cop-ing up with their responsibilities. Idon't think they are overbur-dened. Moreover, the VillageLevel Workers feels it inferior towork under Gram Panchayats asVLWs, but they are willing to workas Panchayat Secretaries. I haveproposed that we should haveone VLW attached with each pan-

chayat. Once we appoint regularPanchayat Secretaries, the short-age will reduce. I also understandthat the Panchayat Secretariesdoes not have any promotionchannel, which needs to be creat-ed. I am working on it too.

AAnndd,, wwhhaatt aabboouutt GGrroouupp CC ssttaaffffffoorr PPaanncchhaayyaattss??

Yes, it's long pending decision.The posts were created 15 yearsback. I don't know why it was notfilled. The matter is also under myconsideration. There is staff short-age in Panchayat. We need to fillthe post of Group C staff to over-come it.

DDoo yyoouu tthhiinnkk,, tthhee PPRRIIss nneeeedd ttoobbee sseennssiittiizzeedd aabboouutt tthhee RRuulleess aannddRReegguullaattiioonnss aass wweellll aass tthheeiirr rroollee

aanndd ffuunnccttiioonnss??Yes, we have initiated aware-

ness and training programme ona massive scale. We are touchingevery nook and corner. FromFebruary onwards, programmeson various aspects of PRIs are alsoconducted.

AAfftteerr 1155 yyeeaarrss ooff PPRRII ssyysstteemm,,hhooww ddoo yyoouu rraattee tthheemm iinn tthheeIIssllaannddss??

Although, the Islands have itsown drawbacks, we are not lag-ging behind in any aspect fromother states. We have madeArticle 243 (G) mandatorywhereas many states are yet to doit. Our focus should be onstrengthening of infrastructureand systematic functioningmethodology.

AE's Quarter Renovation:Whither Regulations?TT

oo pprroovviiddee aapppprroopprriiaattee sseerrvv--iicceess ooff tteecchhnniiccaall mmaannppoowweerrttoo PPRRIIss,, tthhee DDiirreeccttoorraattee ooff

PPaanncchhaayyaatt ttooookk tthhee wwiissee aannddbboolldd ddeecciissiioonn ttoo ffrreeee tthhee tteecchhnnii--ccaall wwiinngg ffrroomm tthhee cclluuttcchheess ooffZZiillllaa PPaarriisshhaadd,, aanndd tthhee wwhhoolleesseettuupp wwaass rreeaarrrraannggeedd ttoo aavvooiiddiinnoorrddiinnaattee ddeellaayyss iinn eexxeeccuuttiioonnooff ddeevveellooppmmeennttaall wwoorrkkss.. BBuutt,,wwiitthh iitt ccrrooppppeedd iittss sshhaarree ooff pprroobb--lleemmss ttoooo.. TThhee tteecchhnniiccaall wwiinnggwwaass sshhiifftteedd ttoo DDiirreeccttoorraattee bbuuiilldd--iinngg.. HHoowweevveerr,, tthhee AAEE,, wwhhoo hhaaddaallrreeaaddyy sseeeenn tthhee sshheeeenn aannddggrraannddeeuurr ooff tthhee eeaarrlliieerr hheeaadd oofftthhee tteecchhnniiccaall wwiinngg,, ccoouulldd nnoottllaagg bbeehhiinndd aanndd sshhiifftteedd ttoo oonnee oofftthhee CCoouunncciilllloorr''ss qquuaarrtteerr((GGeenneerraall PPooooll))..

AAss uussuuaall,, iitt rreeqquuiirreedd ttoo bbee rreenn--oovvaatteedd aanndd rreeffuurrbbiisshheedd.. BBuutt,,wwhhoo wwiillll ffoooott tthhee bbiillll?? TThhee oonnuussffeellll oonn ffoouurr oorr ffiivvee ppaanncchhaayyaattss ooffFFeerrrraarr GGuunnjj TTeehhssiill.. FFlloouuttiinngg aallllrreegguullaattiioonnss,, wwhhiicchh iiss iimmppoosseeddoonn tthhee PPRRIIss eevveerryy nnooww aanndd tthheenn,,aann oorrddeerr wwaass iissssuueedd bbyy tthheeEExxeeccuuttiivvee EEnnggiinneeeerr ttoo tthhee AAssssttEEnnggiinneeeerr ttoo aapppprroovvee tteecchhnniiccaallcclleeaarraannccee aanndd aa ffeeww ppaanncchhaayyaattssiinn FFeerrrraarr GGuunnjj TTeehhssiill wweerreeaasskkeedd ttoo pprreeppaarree wwoorrkk oorrddeerrssaanndd ffuunndd ddiivveerrtteedd ttoo rreennoovvaattee

tthhee qquuaarrtteerr,, wwhhiicchh hhoowweevveerrbbeelloonngg ttoo tthhee ggeenneerraall ppooooll aannddiiss llooccaatteedd iinn JJuunngglliigghhaatt,, ffaarraawwaayy ffrroomm tthheeiirr jjuurriissddiiccttiioonn..

MMoosstt ooff tthhee PPaanncchhaayyaattss sseennss--iinngg ffoouull--ppllaayy ddiidd nnoott hheeeedd ttoo tthheeoorrddeerr.. IItt iiss lleeaarrnntt tthhaatt aannaammoouunntt ooff RRss 88..22 llaakkhhss wweerreeddiivveerrtteedd ffrroomm aa ccoouuppllee ooffPPaanncchhaayyaattss..

WWhheenn aasskkeedd aabboouutt tthhee iissssuuee,,AA NNeedduunncchheezziiyyaann,, DDiirreeccttoorr,,RRuurraall DDeevveellooppmmeenntt ssaaiidd hhee iissnnoott aawwaarree ooff tthhee iinncciiddeenntt aannddaassssuurreedd tthhaatt hhee wwiillll llooookk iinnttoo tthheemmaatttteerr.. HHoowweevveerr,, GGuurruusswwaammyy,,AAEE,, DDiirr ooff PPaanncchhaayyaatt ssaaiidd tthhaatt aassppeerr CCPPWWDD mmaannuuaall,, tthheerree iiss pprroo--vviissiioonn uuppttoo 55%% ffoorr ccoonnttiinnggeennccyyeexxppeennddiittuurree,, wwhhiicchh hhee ssaaiiddiinncclluuddeess ooffffiiccee ssttaattiioonneerryy,, vveehhii--cclleess aanndd ffoorr wwaattcchh aanndd wwaarrdd.. IIttssaassttoonniisshhiinngg ttoo ffiinndd tthhaatt hhooww ccaannaa rreessiiddeennttiiaall qquuaarrtteerr bbee cchhaarrggeedduunnddeerr wwoorrkk..

AAss ppeerr tthhee PPaanncchhaayyaatt RRuulleessaanndd RReegguullaattiioonnss,, wwoorrkk oorrddeerrssffrroomm PPaanncchhaayyaatt ccaann oonnllyy bbeeeexxeeccuutteedd iinn tthheeiirr jjuurriissddiiccttiioonnaafftteerr dduuee ccoonnccuurrrreennccee ooff GGrraammSSaabbhhaa.. TThhee PPrraaddhhaannss,, wwhhoowwoonn''tt mmiinndd bbeennddiinngg tthhee rruulleess aabbiitt ttoo aappppeeaassee tthheeiirr bboosssseess nneevveerrtthhoouugghhtt tthhaatt tthhiiss aacctt,, wwhhiicchh

ggooeess aaggaaiinnsstt tthhee rreegguullaattiioonnmmiigghhtt bboooommeerraanngg,, iiff ssoommeeoonneesseeeekkss iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn tthhrroouugghh RRTTIIaanndd ffiilleess aa ccoommppllaaiinntt..

TThhee DDiirreeccttoorraattee ooffffiicciiaallss hhooww--eevveerr ttrriieedd ttoo ccoonnvviinnccee ssaayyiinnggtthhaatt tthheeyy wweerree ssuuddddeennllyy ccaauugghhttiinn aa pprreeccaarriioouuss ssiittuuaattiioonn ssoooonnaafftteerr tthhee ffoorrmmaattiioonn ooff aa sseeppaarraatteetteecchhnniiccaall wwiinngg,, tthheeyy hhaadd ttoo ffiinnddrreessiiddeennttiiaall qquuaarrtteerr ffoorr tthhee AAEEaanndd iitt wwaass aann iinntteerrnnaall aaddjjuusstt--mmeenntt..

NNeedduunncchheezziiyyaann ssaaiidd tthhaatt ttoorruunn tthhee ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt wwiitthh aaddddii--ttiioonnaall ssttaaffff aallssoo rreeqquuiirreess iinnffrraa--ssttrruuccttuurree aass wweellll aass eexxppeennsseess ttoobbee ccoovveerreedd.. ""WWee ccaannnnoott kkeeeeppggooiinngg ttoo tthhee 6699 PPaanncchhaayyaattss aannddaasskk ffoorr ccoonnttiinnggeennccyy ffuunndd ttoommeeeett oouurr ssttaattiioonneerryy rreeqquuiirree--mmeenntt,, vveehhiicclleess aanndd ootthheerreexxppeennsseess.. WWee hhaavvee nnoowwaapppprrooaacchheedd tthhee aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonnaanndd tthhee LLiieeuutteennaanntt GGoovveerrnnoorrhhaass aapppprroovveedd tthhee pprroovviissiioonn ooff iittssoowwnn ffuunndd,,"" hhee aaddddeedd..

NNoonneetthheelleessss,, iitt ddooeess nnoott eexxoonn--eerraattee tthhee rreennoovvaattiioonn ooff tthheeAAssssiissttaanntt EEnnggiinneeeerr''ss qquuaarrtteerrllooccaatteedd iinn JJuunngglliigghhaatt ffrroommffuunnddss ddiivveerrtteedd aass wwoorrkk oorrddeerrssiissssuueedd bbyy PPaanncchhaayyaattss ffrroommGGuuppttaappaarraa ttoo SShhooaall BBaayy..

Availability of potable water isa major concern for theinhabitants of an island envi-

ronment. There are some subtleand obvious issues which need tobe given attention while address-ing the challenges of providingpotable water to inhabitants ofislands. A&N islands have seendeliberations on this subject sinceages and no tangible solution is atsight. Our Islands are dependenton rainwater harvesting to meetmajority of its potable waterrequirement. Proper sanitation isnot possible without adequatewater and improper sanitationruns risk of contaminating watersources. Recent water shortagescan squarely be attributed to manmade factors. There has been con-sistent mismanagement and pil-ferage of this natural resourceover the years. Growth in theIslands population, tourism andindustrial /construction uses havecontributed to water shortages.

National Water Policy 2002recognises water 'a basic humanneed'. This basic human need atpresent is made available to usislanders at a premium.Curtailment of water supply to asmuch as only 2 times a week for20 minutes a day does not sur-prise many in summer season.Presently water is supplied onalternate days for an hour withwater trickling from taps at a ratewhere a drum can only becomehalf full. Water supply in Port Blairis maintained by PBMC and inrural areas by APWD. Their lowercategory staffs have devisedmeans to black market water. Aperiod of acute water shortagesurfaced after Tsunami of 2004due to breakages in the mainwater pipelines. This gave amplescope for the supervisors and line-men to device ways in putting upa price for their services. Thispractice has become prevalentpredominantly in Municipalareas. Staffs adjust valve settingsof water distribution lines to suittheir bribing clients and hangaround their personal tanks, mak-ing sure each of them overflows.This maneuver greatly helps inwatering lawns, mopping granitefloors and washing grime off carsfor our insatiable rich citizens. Atthe same time a law abiding sub-scriber of PBMC or APWD fret aterratic water supply in his tapunable to top up his water pot,cook his meal or maintain person-al hygiene. Unattended leakingpipes and valves too are a com-mon sight in Port Blair and ruralareas.

The islands receive copiousrainfall to the tune of about 3000mm. per year. About 95 percent ofannual rainfall is received duringMay-December (2250 mm inMay- September during south-west monsoon and 685 mm inOctober-December during north-east monsoon). Present availabili-ty of water resource in the urbanarea of Port Blair is 17.79 millionlitres per day (MLD). This is main-ly by storage in Dhanikhari dam.As per the status of water supply(Economic Survey of A&NIslands, 2007-08), the availablewater supply in A&N Islands is49.62 MLD indicating an excessof 10.27 MLD whereas the pro-jected demand for 2020 is 53.91MLD showing a shortfall of 4.56MLD. It is interesting to note thatthe present and projected (by2020) shortfall in water supply inurban Port Blair alone are 9.38MLD and 19.67 MLD, respective-ly. These statistics need ponderingand judicious utilisation meas-ures adopted.

For development of waterresources in the urban and ruralPort Blair, raising of Dhanikharidam by 5 m, sweet water lake atSippighat, Rutland water supplyproject, desalinisation plant atPort Blair, dam on KamsratNallah, have been taken up.Majority of these projects have hitroad blocks and are yet to take offor alternatively are progressing atsnails pace.

In a seminar post-Tsunami, apaper by Santha Sheela Nair,Secretary, Drinking WaterSupply; New Delhi titled 'PossibleAlternatives for SustainableSanitation and Safe drinkingwater supply in islands with spe-cific reference to Andaman &Nicobar Islands'- specified gov-ernment guidelines while plan-ning water systems on theAndaman Islands. A few keypoints from the paper were-Sustainability should be evaluat-ed from source, technology,financial and social aspects. Thecurrent water supply systemneeds to be decentralised for aug-mentation taking into considera-tion the seismic risks, scattered-increasing population and cli-mate change. Individual andcommunity roof-water harvest-ing is an ideal decentralised sys-tem of providing safe drinkingwater. Generate awareness andcapacity of community towardscreating healthy living conditionsby promoting eco-sanitation. Notmuch of it has been given seriousthought by our planners.

6 |edit|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

07 October 2011 | Vol 35 Issue 15

Na kuch kehte hi banta hai, Na chup rehte hi banta haiHamara bhee to is mitti se aakhir wastha hai kuch - (Raz Andamani)

ANIIDCO's Miscalculated StepTThhee AANNII AAddmmnn iiss rreeffeerrrreedd ttoo aass aann aallccoohhoolliicc--ffrriieennddllyy aaddmmiinniiss--

ttrraattiioonn.. WWiitthh bbaarrss aatt eevveerryy nnooookk aanndd ccoorrnneerr,, tthhee rriissiinngg ccrriimmeessppeerrttaaiinniinngg ttoo aallccoohhoolliissmm ddooeess nnoott ttrroouubbllee tthhee aaddmmiinniissttrraattoorr oorr

tthhee aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn.. WWhhyy tthhee aauutthhoorriittiieess ttuurrnn aa bblliinndd eeyyee ttoowwaarrddsstthhee rroooott ccaauussee iiss aa mmaajjoorr ccoonncceerrnn..

AANNII rreeggiisstteerrss ppeerrhhaappss tthhee hhiigghheesstt ppeerr ccaappiittaa ccoonnssuummppttiioonn oofflliiqquuoorr.. AANNIIIIDDCCOO sseellllss lliiqquuoorr wwoorrtthh RRss 8800 ccrroorreess.. OOuutt ooff tthhee ddeeffeenncceeqquuoottaa,, mmoorree tthhaann aa llaakkhh lliittrree sslliippss iinnttoo tthhee mmaarrkkeett.. TThhee ccoonnssuummpp--ttiioonn iiss oonn aa sstteeeepp rriissee.. TThhee eeffffeeccttss aarree nnaakkeeddllyy vviissiibbllee.. TThhee ssccoouurrggeeooff aaddddiiccttiioonn iiss eeaattiinngg iinnttoo tthhee vviittaallss ooff tthhee eennttiirree IIssllaanndd ssoocciieettyy rriigghhttffrroomm CCaammppbbeellll BBaayy ttoo AAeerriiaall BBaayy..

AAtt tthhiiss jjuunnccttuurree,, iitt''ss sshhoocckkiinngg ttoo lleeaarrnn tthhaatt tthheerree iiss aa pprrooppoossaall ttooooppeenn aa wwiinnee sshhoopp iinn BBaammbbooooffllaatt bbyy AANNIIIIDDCCOO.. WWhheenn tthhee ggeenneerraallppuubblliicc iiss ccrruusshheedd uunnddeerr tthhee wweeiigghhtt ooff pprriiccee rriissee,, iiggnnoorriinngg iittss oowwnnpprriinncciippllee ooff ssttaabbiilliizziinngg tthhee mmaarrkkeett aanndd pprroovviiddiinngg eesssseennttiiaall ccoomm--mmooddiittiieess ttoo ppeeooppllee aatt rreeaassoonnaabbllee pprriicceess,, tthhee bbooaarrdd ooff AANNIIIIDDCCOOtthhoouugghhtt ootthheerrwwiissee aanndd cclloosseedd iittss cchhaaiinn ooff ggrreeeenn sshhooppss,, wwhhiicchh wweerreessuuppppllyyiinngg vveeggeettaabblleess.. AAnndd nnooww,, hhooww tthhee wwiinnee sshhoopp iiss ggooiinngg ttoo hheellpptthhee rruurraall ppooppuullaaccee iiss aannyybbooddyy''ss gguueessss.. AANNIIIIDDCCOO hhaass aallrreeaaddyy lloosstt iittsshhuummaann ffaaccee bbyy cclloossiinngg tthhee ggrreeeenn sshhooppss aanndd ooppeenniinngg uupp nneeww wwiinneesshhooppss..

TThhee rroollee ooff tthhee eelleecctteedd PPRRII mmeemmbbeerrss ooff BBaammbbooooffllaatt PPaanncchhaayyaatt,,wwhhoo wwrroottee ttoo tthhee aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn ddeemmaannddiinngg aa wwiinnee sshhoopp iinn tthheeiirrllooccaalliittyy,, iiss ccoonnddeemmnnaabbllee.. TThhee PPRRIIss wwhhoo hhaavvee aa pprroo--aaccttiivvee rroollee iinn tthheeggrroowwtthh aanndd ddeevveellooppmmeenntt ooff tthhee vviillllaaggeess nneeeedd ttoo rreesseett tthheeiirr pprriioorrii--ttiieess..

HHoowweevveerr,, tthhee llooggiicc tthhaatt tthheerree iiss aa ddeemmaanndd ffoorr aa wwiinnee sshhoopp ffrroommtthhee PPRRIIss iiss hhiigghhllyy oouuttrraaggeeoouuss aass oonn tthhee ootthheerr hhaanndd tthhee VViicceePPrreessiiddeenntt ooff BBJJPP hhaass ooppeennllyy ddeemmaannddeedd tthhee AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn ttoorreeooppeenn tthhee ggrreeeenn sshhooppss.. WWhhyy tthhee ddeemmaanndd iiss nnoott mmeett?? WWhhyy tthheehhaassttee iinn ooppeenniinngg wwiinnee sshhoopp?? WWhhaatt hhaappppeenneedd ttoo ccoorrppoorraattee ssoocciiaallrreessppoonnssiibbiilliittyy ooff tthhee ""oonnllyy"" ccoommmmeerrcciiaall aarrmm ooff tthhee AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn??

TThheerree iiss ooppeenn rreesseennttmmeenntt aammoonngg tthhee ggeenneerraall ppuubblliicc rreessiiddiinngg iinntthhee ssuurrrroouunnddiinngg vviillllaaggeess aaggaaiinnsstt tthhee mmoovvee ooff tthhee aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn..IItt''ss aa mmiissccoonnssttrruueedd sstteepp tthhaatt AANNIIIIDDCCOO hhaass ttaakkeenn.. TThhee ddeecciissiioonnnneeeeddss ttoo bbee rreevviisseedd oorr tthheerree wwiillll bbee sseerriioouuss bbaacckkllaasshh oonn tthheeggrroouunndd..

SACRED | SPACE

Asoap making companyreceived a complaint that aconsumer had bought a soap

box that was empty.Immediately the authorities iso-

lated the problem to the assemblyline, which transported all thepackaged boxes of soap to thedelivery department.

For some reason, one soap boxwent through the assembly lineempty.

Management asked its engi-neers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hardto devise an X-ray machine withhigh- resolution monitors mannedby two people to watch all the soapboxes that passed through the line

to make sure they were not empty.No doubt, they worked hard and

they worked fast but they spent abig amount to do so. But when aworkman was posed with thesame problem, he did not get intothe complications of X-rays, etc butinstead came out with anothersolution.

He bought a strong industrialelectric fan and pointed it at theassembly line. He switched the fanon, and as each soap box passedthe fan, it simply blew the emptyboxes out of the line.

Moral of the story: Always lookfor simple solutions. So, learn tofocus on solutions not on prob-lems.

The Empty Soap Box

The article 'Lets make ourislands Liquor free' byYasmeen Shabnam under

the column 'Your Space' wasthought provoking. This is thevoice of majority of the islanders.

Whenever organisations andindividuals object to issuing of barlicences, the oft-repeated reply ofthe Registering authority is thatAdministration has set certainguidelines for issuing the barlicences and if anyone fulfillsthose guidelines, they cannot bedenied the right to run a bar. Theadministration which is totally outof sync with the aspirations of thepeople have created norms whichwill flourish this trade, fill thepockets of few and ruin the lives ofmany. While framing policies, thepeople at the helm of affairs turn ablind eye to the Article 47 ofDirective principles to States,enshrined in the constitution. Thearticle states that the State shallendeavour to bring about prohibi-tion of the consumption except formedicinal purpose of intoxicatingdrinks and of drugs which areinjurious to health.

Also, the Registering authorityhas some advice for those object-ing against the bars. Instead ofobjecting, he insists to createawareness among the massesabout the bad effects of liquorconsumption. On the one hand,we are encouraging and facilitat-ing liquor hubs and on the otherhand, we spend our resources forcounseling and rehabilitation ofthe habitual drunkards. Seminarsand symposiums conducted on'Anti-alcoholism' day has becomea charade, an eye-wash.Educating an alcoholic is appro-priately summed up by OscarWilde 'When I read about the evilsof drinking, I gave up.....reading.'The ill-informed and lop-sidedpolicy of making easy accessibilityof liquor and then trying to pro-vide medical assistance to thoseaffected by it need to be re-looked.

The Corporation set up underthe premise of integrated and all-round development of the islandshas become synonymous withboozing. The company set up on28th June 1988, aims to improvesupply of important raw materi-

als, essential commodities, con-sumables with view to stabilizethe market and provide thesegoods to people at reasonableprices. The essential commoditywhich is most pro-actively sup-plied by ANIIDCO is well-known.Among the eleven units (Source:www.aniidco.nic.in) of ANIIDCO,the visible arm seems to be theIMFL unit. In an effort to make itspresence felt throughout thearchipelago, the company plansto open new IMFL retail outlets atBambooflat and Havelock.

Despite all this, there is hope.The people of Ferrar Gunj Tehsilhas been fighting tooth and nail toresist renewal of existing bars andproposals of new ones. A massmovement in 2008, initiated byMahila mondals, supported bylocal NGOs, PRIs and commonerssuccessfully weeded out the illicitlocally produced brew. A similarapproach can only put brakes tothe sinister designs of an alco-holic-friendly administrative set-up.

KK PP MMoohhdd YYoouunnuussWimberly Gunj

MAIL | BOX

The nation wants to know howoften teenagers pop the emer-gency contraceptive pill.

The Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR) will supportand finance research projects thatwill look at the pill's use and over-use.

Emergency Contraceptive Pills(ECPs) are used to prevent preg-nancy following an unprotectedact of sexual intercourse within72 hours. The council has calledfor research proposals byDecember 31 on emergency con-traception, especially those thatwill look at the pill's use andabuse by teenagers and sex work-ers.

The ICMR wants to documentthe physical effects of the pill'srepeat use, its side-effects andimpact on regular family plan-ning methods.

It seeks to know the perceptionof ECP among women of repro-ductive age group and its effecton maternal mortality and mor-bidity. "We want to see the change

in prevalence of abortion and ille-gal abortion after introduction ofECP in the national programme,"says an ICMR official.

ICMR says, "The proposals willbe peer reviewed and will have tobe presented by the principleinvestigator during the meetingof the council's expert group.Approved research proposalswould be supported by the coun-cil for funding."

Union health ministry's datasuggests that the number ofinduced abortions is on the wane.However, in absolute numbers,India still records a large numberof such abortions.

For instance, in 2008, India saw6.41 lakh abortions across 12,510institutions that are approved tocarry out medical termination ofpregnancy (MTP).

The Family Welfare Statistics inIndia, 2009, shows 7.25 lakhMTPs were recorded in 2005,7.21 lakh in 2006 and 6.82 lakhinduced abortions in 2007. Goingby the 2008 figures, UP recorded

the highest number of MTPs at89,194, followed by Tamil Nadu(63,875), Orissa (59,945), Assam(58,409) and Maharashtra(54,545). While, the correspon-ding figures in other states likeWest Bengal are (46,753),Haryana (31,126), Delhi(30,846), Rajasthan (29,292),Gujarat (27,837) and Bihar(24,149). Daman and Diu (42),Andaman and Nicobar Islands(94) and Goa (93) had the lowestabortion rates.

A recent report had said thatonly two in five of the estimated6.4 million abortions that occurannually in India are safe.Globally, five million women aretreated annually for complica-tions resulting from unsafe abor-tion.

The exact mode of action ofECPs is not known, but probablemechanisms include preventionof ovulation, fertilization and, or,implantation, depending on thephase of menstrual cycle when itis used.

ICMR to Fund Study on Morning-after Pill Use

We Have an AlcoholicFriendly Administration

7 |home|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

Phool Aur Shool: Anthologyof Poems Released

The book, 'Phool aur Shool' (Flowers and Thorns) comprisingof 51 poems authored by Govind Ram 'Tanha' was releasedhere, in a simple ceremony by SS Chowdhury, PCCF on

October 5. Mr. Chowdhury accepted that the islands had enoughpotential in various fields which actually needed opportunity andmotivation. Mr. Krishna Kumar Yaadav. Director Postal Servicesand a signature in Hindi Literature of national repute hailed theefforts of Mr. Govind Ram who despite being in bureaucratic serv-ices possessed a heart of a poet. Mr. Yadav also wrote the prefacefor the book.

ANC Celebrates Rising Day

The Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) celebrated its 11thRaising Day on 08 October 2011. It was in the aftermath ofthe Kargil Operations and on the recommendation of the

Group of Ministers, that the ANC was raised as the first UnifiedCommand comprising the Army, Navy, Air Force and CoastGuard. Lt Gen NC Marwah, AVSM is presently the Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN).

Over the past ten years, the Command has achieved strategiccoherence and a high level of operational efficiency, both in jointoperations and in rescue and relief operations, in thisSoutheastern frontier of the country. Increased surveillanceefforts, welfare measures and promoting the Andaman as thespringboard of India's future policies, have been the hallmark ofANC's activities in the years gone by.

The '11th Raising Day' marked various events. The day beganwith a 'Ceremonial Parade' comprising platoons from all fourComponents of the Joint Command. On display were the ArmyBMPs, Ships dressed overall and a flypast by the Chetaks, Mi-8sand Dornier aircraft. The activities of the day also included aBarakhana with the defence personnel's and their families atMilitary Station, Birchgunj.

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The Andaman Chamber ofCommerce & Industries(ACCI) will be organising

Andaman Marathon-2011, withthe support of Directorate ofTourism, Department of Sportsand Youth Affairs, SportsAuthority of India, A & N Policeand Directorate of HealthServices. Briefing media personsat a press conference held at TSGEmerald View here, theCoordinator, AndamanMarathon-2011, Mr. Mohd. HJadwet said that the aims oforganising the marathon is tobring Andaman in the nationaland international map as also togenerate awareness for a cleanerand greener Andaman.

Mr. Jadwet said that themarathon, the first in the islandsis the initiative of ACCI, which willbe a quarter marathon of 10.55km and its inaugural edition willbe conducted on Nov. 20, 2011 at6.00 am to be flagged off by theDirector General of Police fromthe historic National Memorial,Cellular Jail via TsunamiMemorial, Water SportsComplex, Marina Park, R KMission, Gandhi Park, Raj Niwas,

IP&T Secretariat, VIP road ITFGround, Mahatma Gandhi Raod,(Junglughat), Goal Ghar, PremNagar, Delanipur, Phoenix Bay, BR Ambedkar Auditorium,Aberdeen Bazar Ghanta Ghar andwill culminate at Netaji Stadium.The Chief Secretary will distributecash prizes and certificates to thewinners and medals and certifi-cates to all participants who com-plete the marathon.TheMarathon is going to beorganised as an annual event ofthe calendar year, he said.

The Coordinator further saidthat the marathon will be held infour categories. Open category toall men and women and men andwomen above 50 years age. Theprize money for the first, secondand third will be Rs. 20,000/-, Rs.15,000/- and Rs. 10,000/- formen and women open categoryrespectively while Rs. 10,000/-,Rs. 5,000/- and Rs.3,000/- cashprize will be awarded for men andwomen above 50 years of agerespectively, he said.

People from all walks of lifeincluding Army, Navy, Air Force,Police, IRBn, as also from main-land and foreign tourists can par-

ticipate in the Marathon. Theywill have to fill a registration formand submit the samealongwithRs.100/- as a participa-tion fee to the Chamber’s office.All participants will be provided akit consisting of a T-shirt and acap, the Coordinator added andappealed to one and all to partici-pate in the Marathon. Earlier, thePresident ACCI, Mr. G Bhashkarwelcomed the gathering.

ACCI Marathon forCleaner and Greener

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The head of the organisation then was from Kolkata and theorganisation had a Nicobaree employee too. The tribal boybecame too close to the wife of the head for his simplicity. The

house-lady hailed from a typical conventional family of West Bengaland as a distinctive Hindu wife, considered her husband too big todiscuss anything but household topics. She did not even know thather husband was the boss of the small organisation leave apartknowing his salary or other perks he would get from time to time inform of DA arrears, bonus or even overtime. The husband alsowould never tell her when he would get any money from his office.

But after a couple of years the lady discovered a way and couldrightly ask her husband whether he got some money from his office.

The tribal boy would visit the lady and tell that his wife got a sprainand collect the ice tray from her. With such or analogous ploy hewould visit the lady to collect ice from her fridge twice or thrice amonth. He would say, 'Madaam, Thoda Purf (Burf-Ice) hona'. At alater date she could understand the actual reason of fetching 'Purf'.Whenever the office people would get any money the tribal boywould come to get some 'Purf' in order to enjoy his hard drink withice.

Comes her husband and smilingly she would declare that her hus-band has got money from his office. How the right information wasreceived by her wife, he could not discover till he was transferred.The 'Purf' remained the code for the wife which she declared afterreaching back to Kolkata. She returned much wiser with the word'Purf' and its association with money.

— Musafir

The Message of ‘Purf’

Printed and Published by Basudev Dass on behalf of Gezira Publications Pvt. Ltd. at 146-JG Colony, Junglighat, Port Blair - 744103. Mb: 9932081771, Email: lightofandamans@gmail.com. Printed at Gezira Printers, Port Blair.Founder Editor: Paras Ram Editor: Zubair Ahmed

candid | CAMERA8 |back|PAGE THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Port Blair 07 OCTOBER 2011

chalte | CHALTE

FISHING IN TSUNAMI WATERS: A villager fishing in Andha Beda (Kadakachang)