PRIs and Contractors Oppose Proposal to Transfer Rural Roads and State Highway Projects to NHAI in North Andaman

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Dec. 04: The Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti Diglipur and other Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of North Andaman have raised their voice against a recent proposal by the Andaman Administration to hand over the road works of Rural Road and a part of NH4 to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
According to information, Mr. Dipankar Mistry, Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti Diglipur and other members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of North Andaman have raised their serious objection to a recent proposal by the Andaman Administration to hand over the road works of Rural Road from Kalara Junction to Ramnagar and State Highway from Diglipur Bazar to Hathilevel, under APWD, Diglipur, to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Taking a great exception to the alleged proposal, they said: “As we have seen the deteriorating condition of NH roads in North and Middle Andaman constructed by NHAI in the last five years. They have dug up the roads constructed by the erstwhile APWD and reused the stones used in them, we can say that the present roads have been constructed without any stones and the condition of the roads is deteriorating day by day.” Furthermore, the present condition of the roads has caused a lot of inconvenience to the local people and has affected the lives of many individuals in many ways, they decried.
In such a situation, if the Administration hands over these road projects to NHAI, it may create anxiety in the minds of the people, Mr. Mistry and other PRI Members opined. On the other hand, the members of PRIs and even the Contractors’ Association of Diglipur are reportedly unhappy with this decision, the Pramukh categorically said. There are about 70-80 government contractors in North Andaman who reportedly depend on these projects/works for their livelihood, Mr. Mistry claimed. If all such projects are reportedly given to NHAI, it can have a bad impact on the families of these government contractors, he further added.
Now, their only demand is that these road projects should remain under the jurisdiction of APWD of Diglipur and the Pramukh has written a letter addressed to the honourable Lieutenant Governor, A & N Islands to this effect on 2nd December 2024, he further said.