Port Blair, Nov 16 2020
Nicobar Times had reported earlier that Campbell Bay residents were planning to protest against the A & N Administration for regular shipping services to the Islands. This morning members of the Fishermen Community along with the general public showed up at Zero Point and started protesting against the A & N Administration.
Two major demands of the protestors include regular shipping services to Campbell Bay and proper BSNL Mobile Data services. The protestors have blocked the road at Zero Point, Campbell Bay and no vehicles are being allowed to move from one side to another.
It has been reported that the Assistant Commissioner of Campbell Bay Dr. Mukesh Kumar reached the spot and assured the protestors that shipping services will be provided once in every 10 days and for mobile data he informed the protestors that the equipments are not available.
The protestors were unmoved by the verbal assurance of the Assistant Commissioner and demanded that the Assistant Commissioner give his assurance to them in writing. The Assistant Commissioner offered to connect them to the Deputy Commissioner through Video Call, which was refused by the protestors.
The residents of Campbell Bay have been suffering because of non-availability of regular shipping services to Island from a long time. Only one ship per month is reaching Campbell Bay from the last few months after the lockdown was lifted.
It is important to understand that Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar is the southernmost Island in the Nicobar Group and also the southernmost territory of India, the medical and other facilities in the Islands are not upto the mark. The general pubic has been facing problems even in availing transportation for their regular medical check-ups at Port Blair and mainland.
Further the perishable cargo like onions, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs etc also often go out of stock because of non-availability of shipping services, the cargo ship which the administration provides takes a lot of time to reach Great Nicobar and hence it is not feasible for the perishable cargo to be transported.
The protestors are in no mood to bow down and the administration needs to find some solution to the problems of the residents.
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