THELIGHTOFANDAMANS: COVER STORY | Raj Niwas v/s Van Sadan

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

COVER STORY | Raj Niwas v/s Van Sadan

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 36 | ISSUE 04 | 15 NOV 2012

COVER STORY:

Raj Niwas v/s Van Sadan

By Zubair Ahmed

The haste with which Raj Niwas acted on the DFO issue too raises many questions. On the file, the Lieutenant Governor writes that anti-corruption may submit their report on the issue and meanwhile, the DFO should be transferred from Little Andaman. The order of transfer was issued by Satish Mathur, Secretary to LG from Raj Niwas instead of Van Sadan. What was the interest of Satish Mathur who showed superfluous interest in the case? Why the case is referred to anti-corruption is another mystery.

The case instead of going to PCCF for taking action was dealt directly at Raj Niwas and was informed to the Addl PCCF instead of the PCCF.

There is a very visible rift between the top echelons of Forest Dept and the ANI Admn. For the first time, the Islands have two Principal Secretaries for Forest and Environment and Wildlife. DV Negi, PCCF, it's learnt is not in the good books of Raj Niwas. The Admn, is in a quandary with many of its vital tourism projects held up for environmental clearances. Without proper homework and half-hearted efforts, when the proposals are sent for environmental clearances, the files get held up for want of proper information, which is unavailable with the Admn.

To overcome the log jam, overriding the desk of DV Negi, the Admn found a new shortcut - installing Shashi Kumar, PCCF, Wildlife as Principal Secretary, Environment and Science & Technology. The stake of many bureaucrats in the tourism projects go beyond their brief. In fact, they have a stake in the projects, which need not get the expected impetus from the Dept of Environment and Forest, as they are doing their mundane job.

Speaking to The Light of Andamans, a senior forest official said that if the Bureaucrats need any forest produce for their own use, they will go out of their way and plunge to any level to achieve it. Why can't they show same kind of interest in the official matters?

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About The Light of Andamans

The Light of Andamans’ was born out of the zeal and determination to fight against the suffocating Kafkaesque atmosphere on the society that existed even after 30 years of Independence under bureaucratic rule. It was a hangover of the ‘Raj’that extended much too long in the Islands.

The Light of Andamans’ was started in 1975. The paper had always been a crusader, taking up the causes that no other newspaper would touch. In doing so, it very often stepped on the toes of the authorities and had to face persecution in the form of denial of advertisements and numerous court cases against it. For a small stint, the publication came to a halt in 2003.

Gezira Publications Private Limited took over the paper in the year 2005 and transferred the title in a bid to revive the second oldest newsmagazine from extinction and also to carry forward the mission.

The Newsmagazine, under the new management, has undergone a sea change both in form and content. It turned into a full-fledged tabloid with 10 pages with plenty of photographs making both pleasing to the eyes and soothing for the mind. “It has acquired a position where it influences the policies in vital matters concerning the development of the islands, protection of aboriginal tribes and addressing the problems of the disadvantaged groups. The newsmagazine is known and appreciated for its bold, free, fair and balanced reporting.”

Late Govinda Raju and his team worked very hard to rebuild the reputation, goodwill and a healthy new image of the newsmagazine brick by brick. After the demise of Mr Raju in 2010, the magazine is now being edited by Zubair Ahmed and published by Basudev Dass. The newsmagazine continues its mission of highlighting policy issues pertaining to the Islands.