John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Sept 15: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, the Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, convened a press conference today to draw attention to the deplorable condition of the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) from Baratang to Diglipur region.
During the press conference, the Member of Parliament revealed that he has written a letter to the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, informing the Minister about the woeful state of the NH4. In his correspondence, he emphasized that if significant improvements were not made to make the route motorable for the general public within the next 15 days, he would stage a one-day hunger strike at Rangat on 1st October 2023.
He clarified that this hunger strike marked his initial step, and if necessary, he would resort to more substantial measures to ease the suffering of the people in North and Middle Andaman, as well as ATR commuters.
“It is the responsibility of NHIDCL to repair all the potholes and make the NH4 road atleast fit for movement of vehicles. If nothing is done in 15 days I will be forced to go for a mass agitation,” he added.
Having personally travelled in a State transport bus, the Member of Parliament witnessed first-hand the deplorable condition of the Andaman Trunk Road and the distress experienced by its users, especially pregnant women, elderly individuals, children, and school students. He commended the dedicated staff of the State Transport Service (STS), who are dedicatedly operating buses despite the challenging road conditions.
In response to questions, the Member of Parliament disclosed that he had been highlighting this issue constantly in various forums, including Parliament and the administration, since 20021. However, the situation has only worsened over time, necessitating his decision to initiate this step.
