Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, May 30: In a significant move aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing neglect and slow-paced development in North and Middle Andaman, a group of elected Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members had recently come together to form the District PRI Association, North & Middle Andaman. The newly formed body has vowed to collectively raise its voice against administrative delays, inadequate infrastructure, and the lack of meaningful community engagement in the governance process.
This Wednesday, the Association observed a “Black Day” to register their protest against the persistent apathy towards the developmental needs of the region.
Today in a conversation with Andaman Sheekha Daily, Mr. Debobrata Das Pradhan, Swadesh Nagar Panchayat and General Secretary of the Association revealed that the Association has resolved to submit a seven-day ultimatum to the administration. If the top five demands out of their 12 demands are not met by the following Wednesday, the PRI members will proceed with mass resignations on Thursday.
He added that the administration will be given a week to fulfill at least top five of the twelve critical demands, which the Association believes are essential for the immediate welfare and governance of North and Middle Andaman.
The Twelve Key Demands of the Association Include:
1. Appointment of Executive Engineers (EE) for PRIs, with credibility and ability to coordinate with PRI bodies effectively.
2. Immediate processing and execution of all development works, whether estimated above or below ₹6 lakh.
3. Swift movement of pending e-files related to development at the administration level.
4. Timely release of Grant-in-Aid funds across all sectors to facilitate uninterrupted local development.
5. Provision of guaranteed 100 days of work under MGNREGA for all job card holders.
6. Granting powers to PRIs equivalent to those in progressive states like Kerala and Gujarat.
7. Alignment of departmental action plans with Gram Sabha-approved proposals under the People’s Plan model.
8. Completion of planning processes (GPDP, BPDP, ZPDP, DPC) ahead of the Union Budget and Priority Action Plans of the line departments.
9. Strict adherence to Ministry of Panchayati Raj guidelines based on the national 9 themes and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
10. Separation of the Directorate of Panchayat Raj from the Directorate of Rural Development, for more focused governance.
11. Granting of Legislative Assembly privileges to the people of A&N Islands, allowing them to frame region-specific laws in coordination with the Central Government and relevant ministries.
12. Appointment of a development- and welfare-oriented Lieutenant Governor, who also has expertise in defence, to ensure balanced governance.
The association has made it clear that this protest is not just a symbolic gesture but a decisive action plan to combat the stagnation and ensure accountability from the administrative machinery. According to Mr. Debobrata Das, the time for silence is over and if the authorities fail to respond within the stipulated period, mass resignations will follow, marking an unprecedented move in the political history of the Islands.
“On behalf of District PRIs Association N&M Andaman, we assure you that today’s announcement of Mass Resignation of the PRIs of N&M Andaman is a part of protest and is also a result of Administrative lapses in ensuring good governance in every phase of life across the District. In the last three years we the PRIs had staged many protests in the form of Julus, Rally March, Strike, Chakka Jam, Letter Correspondence, Dharna etc just to seek Good Governance and justice with the Local Self Government in practicing grassroot democracy. Whereas, we don’t find any improvement in the approach of Administrative system towards public service,” Mr. Das added.
