Staff Correspondent
Mayabunder, September 30: The construction of the approximately 2.5-kilometre rural road to 40 Ekkar Village, located in Ward No. 01 of Pudumadurai under Gram Panchayat Chainpur, has remained incomplete for several years. Expressing serious concern over the prolonged delay, Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Chainpur, Me.Johnson Kerketta, has submitted a letter to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, requesting intervention for the early release of the required funds and completion of the remaining road work on priority.
According to the letter submitted by the Gram Panchayat, the road project was sanctioned to provide road connectivity to 40 Ekkar Village, and its foundation stone was laid in 2009. Approximately 1 kilometre of the road has been constructed, while around 1.5 kilometres of the road remains incomplete.
Pradhan Mr.Johnson Kerketta stated that earth-cutting work has been carried out at several locations along the remaining stretch and some culverts have also been constructed. However, the necessary construction and black-topping work required to make the road fully motorable is still pending.
According to the Pradhan, based on information received from the Zilla Parishad office, an estimate for the black-topping work of the remaining approximately 1.5-kilometre stretch has already been prepared and forwarded for release of the required funds. However, the work has not progressed due to non-availability of funds.
The Pradhan has requested that the present status of the project, including the survey, estimate, administrative and technical approvals and funding status, be obtained from the concerned department and that the required funds be released at the earliest so that further delay in completion of the road can be avoided.
Around 40 families reside in 40 Ekkar Village. Due to the absence of a proper all-weather motorable road, residents face difficulties in their daily travel as well as in accessing healthcare, education, transportation and essential supplies.
The letter states that during medical emergencies, pregnancy, serious illness or accidents, patients sometimes have to be manually carried towards the main road by local residents. Due to the lack of a proper motorable road, ambulances and other emergency vehicles also face difficulty in reaching the village.
The situation becomes more difficult during the rainy season, when schoolchildren and other residents have to travel through muddy and slippery paths. Construction materials, food items, LPG cylinders and other essential supplies also have to be manually carried along the remaining stretch of the road, causing additional hardship to the villagers.
Pradhan Mr.Johnson Kerketta has also pointed out in his letter that the proposed road alignment will benefit almost all the families residing in 40 Ekkar Village. Once completed, the road will provide direct connectivity to the village from the Pudumadurai School side.
He stated that completion of the road would not only improve normal transportation but would also facilitate the movement of ambulances, Fire Service vehicles and other emergency vehicles to the village. It would further improve residents’ access to healthcare, education, livelihood opportunities and other essential government services.
The Pradhan has requested the Lieutenant Governor to ensure that the necessary departmental procedures and approvals are completed at the earliest so that the black-topping work on the remaining 1.5-kilometre stretch can commence during December–January, when weather conditions are comparatively suitable for road construction.
He has also requested the concerned department to take up the road work on priority and complete it in a time bound manner, besides providing the Gram Panchayat with information regarding the project’s funding status, executing agency and proposed timeline for completion.
Pradhan Mr.Johnson Kerketta stated that the residents of 40 Ekkar Village have been waiting for proper road connectivity for many years. He therefore emphasized that the required funds should be made available at the earliest and the remaining road work completed on priority, considering its importance for the health, education, transportation and emergency service needs of the villagers.
