Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug 10: In a significant meeting held today, Mr. Vishal Jolly, a member of the National Executive Committee and National Council of the BJP, met with the Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Administration to highlight & discuss several pressing issues affecting the region. During the meeting, Jolly highlighted three critical concerns that require immediate attention from the administration.
Regarding Chatham Bridge Accessibility Mr. Vishal Jolly pointed out the challenges faced by pregnant women, children, and handicapped persons, due to restrictions imposed on the Chatham Bridge because of its dilapidated condition. He suggested operating battery cars for the time being to transport these groups between Chatham Jetty and the Chatham Police Station junction, to alleviate their struggles. This may be done after due consultation with experts of this field. He further requested to take up, discuss & explore the possibility of reinforcing the existing bridge temporarily as a stop gap arrangement, with Engineering Experts, till a new bridge comes into existence.
The second issue raised was the frequent power cuts plaguing the islands, which are severely impacting the public, business community, and students. Jolly emphasized the need for drastic measures to address this issue. He also highlighted the underperformance of the hydro power generation project at Diglipur on the Kalpong River, suggesting a thorough overhaul to improve its efficiency.
The third issue concerned the poor condition of National Highway 4, which connects South Andaman with North and Middle Andaman. Spanning approximately 300 kilometers, the highway’s poor state is a significant concern. Although the Chief Secretary indicated that completing the project would take some time, he assured that steps are being taken to make the highway motorable.
