Abhishek & Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug 06: Mounting frustration over severely crumbling infrastructure, deteriorating basic amenities, and administrative apathy has pushed the residents of Gram Panchayat Radhanagar in Diglipur to the edge.
Following a demonstration held 29 July 2026, the local Panchayat and the public have now issued a stern ultimatum to the local administration. Speaking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, the Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Radhanagar Mrs. Nilima Samadder explicitly stated that the villagers will wait only until August 15, 2026, for the administration to initiate positive actions. If the authorities fail to address these burning issues by Independence Day, the Gram Panchayat will submit another representation to the concerned authorities after August 15, 2026. If no concrete action is taken even thereafter, the Panchayat will be compelled to launch another round of protests.
The catalyst for this impending unrest was a large-scale ‘dharna’ (sit-in protest) organized by the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members and the general public on July 29, 2026, right in front of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Radhanagar. The protest was held to draw the urgent attention of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, including the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary, toward a multitude of severe civic issues paralyzing the daily lives of the islanders.
Chief among the grievances is the deplorable state of the region’s road network. The SH-15 road, which connects Diglipur Bazar to Radhanagar, is currently in a highly deteriorated and miserable condition, posing significant safety risks to daily commuters and making vehicular movement exceptionally difficult. More shockingly, the residents of Lalit Katai have been waiting for basic road connectivity for over five decades. Since the settlement of families in the Lalit Katai area in 1969, no proper motorable road has ever been constructed. Villagers are forced to navigate difficult terrain on foot, severely impacting the transport of agricultural produce, the movement of school children, and access to emergency healthcare. The lack of basic infrastructure has become so acute that several families are reportedly being compelled to migrate out of the area in search of better living conditions. Furthermore, the repair work for the ‘Bahudur Tekry’ road, which was tendered and awarded nearly two years ago, has yet to even commence.
Internal connectivity is equally compromised. The main road leading to the Joseph Tete house in Shyamnagar-I, initially constructed between 2009 and 2010, is in ruins. Additionally, two critical footbridges constructed under the MPLADS scheme have become heavily hazardous. The footbridge located behind PHC Radhanagar, which connects Burma Chad and Naya Katai, was severely damaged by a fallen tree, rendering it unsafe for public use. Another MPLADS footbridge near the Ajit Mondal residence at Radhanagar-II is also in an urgent need of repair; it currently acts as a primary alternate route after another bridge leading to Lalit Katai was destroyed by a fallen tree.
The healthcare and education sectors in the Panchayat are similarly facing a severe crisis. PHC Radhanagar is currently battling an acute shortage of doctors, nurses, and supporting healthcare staff, alongside a stark lack of diagnostic and laboratory facilities. Patients requiring basic medical investigations are frequently forced to travel approximately 22 kilometers to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Diglipur, causing immense hardship to pregnant women, the elderly, children, and emergency patients.
Basic utilities such as electricity and telecommunications remain a distant dream for many in the region. Residents living on encroached lands who applied for new electricity connections are still waiting in the dark. Despite a field survey being conducted about two years ago to assess feasibility, no connections have been provided, severely affecting children’s education and basic safety. Meanwhile, weak and unreliable BSNL mobile and internet networks have left the Gram Panchayat disconnected from the ‘Digital India’ initiative, severely hampering access to online education, telemedicine, and digital banking.
Taking cognizance of the massive dharna on July 29, the Tehsildar of Diglipur intervened by officially writing to various concerned departments on July 30, 2026. In the letter addressed to the Executive Engineer of APWD, the Chief Medical Officer, the Deputy Director of Education, the SDO of BSNL, and the Executive Engineer of the Electricity Department, the Tehsildar formally forwarded the Pradhan’s comprehensive list of public grievances. The Tehsildar urgently requested these departments to prioritize the matters, conduct necessary site inspections, and initiate remedial measures according to applicable norms and fund availability. Crucially, the concerned departments were directed to furnish a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) to the Tehsildar’s office at the earliest for onward submission to competent authorities.
Despite the Tehsildar’s official correspondence, the Pradhan Mrs. Nilima Samadder alleged that there has been no tangible, positive movement on the ground as of yet. With patience wearing dangerously thin, the residents of Gram Panchayat Radhanagar are holding firm to their August 15 deadline. If sweeping and visible actions are not initiated within the next few days to alleviate these long-standing developmental bottlenecks, the Gram Panchayat will submit another representation to the concerned authorities after August 15, 2026. If no satisfactory action follows the representation, the Panchayat will then launch another democratic protest, the Pradhan said.
