Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, 07, January: Smti. Sunity Halder, Zilla Parishad Member from the Keralapuram Constituency, Diglipur has advocated an immediate action regarding pending payments for vehicle hiring during Lok Sabha Elections in 2019 as well as in 2024.
According to information, Smti. Sunity Halder has raised the unresolved payment issues concerning the vehicle owners and drivers from the Diglipur area.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, the ZPM said that for the Lok Sabha Election of 2024, vehicles were hired by the Election Authorities with an assurance that the payments would be reportedly cleared within two to three months. However, despite elapsing a considerable period of time, a total amount of Rs. 32,10,462.46 remains reportedly unpaid, as alleged by Smti. Halder. This delay has caused significant distress, as the vehicle owners and drivers are still awaiting their dues, she added.
Furthermore, the payment of Rs. 14,27,953/- for vehicles hired during the 2019 Lok Sabha Election reportedly remains pending despite several requests for its settlement, she said. During both 2019 and 2024 elections, the concerned authorities reportedly assured the vehicle owners and drivers that payments would be made promptly, yet no action has been taken to fulfill their promises, she maintained.
The non-payment of these dues is causing serious financial strain on the vehicle owners and drivers, who rely on these earnings for their livelihood, she said. Despite multiple reminders, no effective steps have been reportedly taken to resolve the issue, she further decried.
In light of this situation, she further said that if the District Election Officer does not clear the outstanding payments for both the 2019 and 2024 elections without further delay, she along with other PRI Members and the stakeholders will be reportedly compelled to mount a protest. The protest will reportedly take the form of a strike in front of the Administrative Building, Diglipur on 10th January 2024, as a last resort to seek attention to this matter, she threatened.
Smti. Sunity Halder has reportedly written a letter to the Honourable Lieutenant Governor, A & N Islands, Raj Niwas, Sri Vijaya Puram seeking for resolving the payment issue early, she further added.
