Friday, June 23, 2006
Prof. Ram Kapse the Tsunami man resigns
Port Blair, June 04: Prof Ramchandra Ganesh Kapse the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who had headed the massive relief and rehabilitation work in Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the tsunami disaster in December 2004 has sent in his resignation to the President of India, Raj Niwas sources said today.
Prof. Kapse was in leave due to his illness since February 2006 and Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, Lt. General (Retd) Madan Mohan Lakhera, was given the additional charge of the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicoabr islands in Kapse’s absence.
“It is not clear who would be the next Lt. Governor of these islands,” Raj Niwas sources added.
On 5th January 2004 Prof. Kapse had taken over as the 8th Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
On 26th December 2004 these remote islands were hit by devastating tsunami and Prof. Kapse was made Chairman of Intergrated Relief Command to oversee the massive relief and rehabilitation operation.
Born on 1st December 1933 at Nasik (Maharashtra), Prof. Kapse holds a Master degree in Marathi and Sanskrit literature and also graduated in law (LLB) from the University of Bombay.
Retired as Head of the Department of Marathi Literature at D.G. Ruparel College, Bombay (Mumbai), he was a Member of Lok Sabha (Thane Constituency), the Indian Houses of Parliament, from 1989 to 1996 and Member of Rajya Sabha from 1996 to 1998.
He was also Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Kalyan Constituency) from 1978 to 1989 and was the Leader of the BJP group in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1985 to 1989. He was also Member of Kalyan Municipality from 1962 to 1974, sources said.
Andaman Police launches massive drive to protect stone-age Jarawa tribes
The drive has been launched after several reported incidents of poaching inside Jarawa Reserve forest by inhabitants settled around the area, Andaman’s Superintendent of Police said.
“It has come to notice that poachers sailing in boats from nearby villages are entering the Jarawa Area and apart from poaching are also harassing Jarawas,” the SP added.
A little more than 200 hunter gatherer Jarawa tribes, live in the Middle Andaman’s Jarawa reserved forest and hunt with bows and arrows. They have only had friendly contact with the outside world since 1998 before that they were hostile.
Jarawas are one of the four tribes of Andaman group of islands situated at Bay of Bengal.
The SP Andaman added that from now on Police parties will be patrolling around Jarawa reserve area and poachers will be booked under the PAT Regulation which has recently been amended to give enhanced punishment to offenders.
“As per the amended PAT regulations imprisonment is mandatory and may extend upto 2 years with fine,” a police source said.
According to police records in the first 6 months of current year, police has registered 15 cases and arrested 38 persons under the PAT regulations and seized their boats.
In a most recent case six poachers of Andaman islands were caught poaching inside Jarawa reserve where they were accosted by a Jarawa boy named Uligard.
The Jarawa boy was beaten and threatened by the poachers. Later the boy was admitted in nearby hospital with his grievous injuries.
Andaman Gets its Independent Information Department
This was a long pending demand of Media Personals and a few other sections of these remote islands. Due to shortage of man power and resources these two departments were clubbed together since beginning.
“This is a welcome step,” Mr. K. Ganeshan, Vice President of Press Club of Port Blair saidNI.
Mr. Kuldeep Singh Gangar, Director (IP&T) will be holding the charges of Tourism Division and will deal with the implementation of the policy and programme formulated by the A & N Administration for the development and promotion of tourism in the islands.
Mr. Shri V.K. Mishra has been designated as Officer in-charge of Information and Publicity Division which shall exclusively deal with the subject relating to Information & Publicity, official sources confirmed.
“This should have been done long before. This decision would not only help tourism to grow but also help local media,” The Vice President of Press Club of Port Blair added.
