Residents cry foul; ZP says ‘fund crunch’
Manoj
Calicut, Apr 10: The road of Calicut No 3, is a perfect example of how system could go terribly wrong in Andaman andNicobar Islands. The road, which is presently under South Andaman Zilla Parishad is in horrible shape.
“Since last 10 years the road has not been repaired. Things are so difficult for us, especially during rainy days. Potholes and bad roads have made our life difficult,” complained a villager ofCalicut.
Clicut No.3 village is just an example. Condition is same with most of the village roads in Andaman andNicobar Islands, which are under Zilla Parishad. Many believe that for this Administration is equally responsible. The Administration has transferred roads to Zilla Parishad but is reluctant to release money for Zilla Parishad due to lack of trust.
“If Administration doesn’t have trust on Zilla Parishad and local politicians, let APWD take over, why general public are made to suffer,” the villager added.
When asked about bad roads in Zilla Parishad, the Chairperson of South Andaman Zilla Parishad, Mr. SS Balakrishnan Nair put the blame on Administration. “Without fund how can we repair or construct roads. Recently some village roads have been handed over to APWD but still nearly100 kmstretch of road is with Zilla Parishad but we don’t have enough funds to repair or maintain those funds,” Nair added.
It seems that the lack of trust, between Administration and Zilla Parishad, has become a curse for villagers of these remote islands, who are force to live with these bad roads and suffer daily hiccups.
