PBMC Ward Councillors demand CBI probe after alleged threats and corruption by PBMC Superintending Engineer

TMI Correspondent

Port Blair, July 03: Due to the non-lifting of garbage for the past month from various municipal wards in Port Blair City, despite readily available segregated waste, several councillors, dissatisfied with responses from the junior engineers of their localities, visited the Brookshabad garbage dumping yard to investigate the issue.

On 29/06/2024 Sr. Vice Chairperson, Ravichandran, Ward Councillor Someshwar Rao, and others inspected the site and observed a large number of plastic bottles covering approximately 150 square meters, with a thickness of one to two meters. This situation violates the National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. During the inspection, they received a call from the Superintending Engineer of PBMC, Avinash Kumar Singh, who allegedly threatened them, questioning their permission to enter the site and accusing them of seeking a commission. He is also reported to have used abusive and vulgar language towards all councillors of the 24 wards.

Ward Councillor Rajesh Ram further alleged that, in collusion with Superintending Engineer Avinash Kumar Singh, a contract worth Rs. 10.5 crores was awarded to Aquaworld for garbage collection. He also claimed that about 1 lakh tons of waste (legacy waste) remained unaccounted for, and that 47 employees listed as SWM workers were merely on paper, while few and different workers were operating on the ground. Additionally, Avinash Kumar Singh allegedly threatened to shut down the technical wing of PBMC and issued further threats.

The councillors emphasized their role as public representatives responsible for addressing the issues of their respective municipal wards. They condemned the abusive language used by Shri Avinash Kumar Singh and expressed concern over his alleged misconduct and domination within the Port Blair Municipal Council. They are demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry to address the alleged corruption practices and call for his suspension.

Comments

Say Good Bye to Plastic Bags - “It is Better for your Generations”

TMI Bureau Port Blair, Oct 02: As part of National Campaign against the single-use plastic and on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Over 25000 cloth bags (made by Skill Development Centre, DBRAIT) were distributed to general public for free by DBRAIT in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Oct 02, 2019. At different distribution points, people at large numbers collected the cloth bags in exchange of a polythene bag. Background: Less than 50 years ago plastic bags were a rarity in the world. In Andaman it's just a decade ago Polyethylene were came into use, but badly affected a lot. Before plastic bags, there was paper or cloth. Paper bags worked but they were not easy to carry and they weren't nearly as strong as plastic. The most important part is paper was more expensive to produce than plastic. The cost of disposal and clean up of plastic bags comes back to the tax payer, hazardously. However, polyethylene (the most common type of plast...

Campaign for free access to Cellular Jail gains support, calls for National Pilgrimage Status

Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept 25: A campaign demanding greater respect for India's martyrs at the historic Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has gained momentum. The movement calls for the jail, a "National Memorial," to be declared a "National Pilgrimage Site." Activists are advocating for free entry to the light and sound show for island residents and a nominal fee of Rs.30 for outside tourists. The organizers argue that, just as the central and state governments provide free religious pilgrimages, similar provisions should be made for free visits to Cellular Jail, also known as "Kala Pani." Supporters emphasize the importance of including the jail's revolutionary history in school curricula. They believe that officially recognizing the site as a national pilgrimage location would be a fitting tribute to the martyrs and freedom fighters who were imprisoned there. The campaign coincides with the birth anniversary of revolutionary marty...

Successful Surgery Gives New Life to 2.5-Year-Old Girl Born Without Properly Formed Food Pipe

Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 30: A 2.5-year-old girl, born with a congenital condition where her esophagus (food pipe) was not properly formed, has successfully undergone a highly specialized surgery at ANIIMS (Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences). Immediately after birth, a team of ANIIMS surgeons performed emergency surgery, placing a feeding tube in her abdomen through the stomach to ensure she could receive nutrition. For over two and a half years, the child was fed through this tube, enabling her to gain adequate weight in preparation for a reconstructive surgery to create a functioning food pipe. On September 25, 2024, a complex surgery was performed to create a new esophagus for the child. During the procedure: The artificial feeding tube was removed, and the opening in the stomach was closed; A tunnel was created in the chest, and the stomach was carefully separated from surrounding organs; Using the blood supply from key arteries, the stomach was elevated be...

The Mini India

Search This Blog