Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, April 06: The battle of the Non-Government Association, Sahyog, is likely to take a legal turn with the NGO mulling over approaching the Court of Law for the rights of handicapped and people from the Other Backward Classes. Sahyog has been long demanding allotment of shops in the newly constructed Food Court near Marina Park to handicapped people and those from backward sections of the society. But the Municipal Council, which completed the construction of the Food Court few months ago, has been declining to accede to the demands.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha, the President, Sahyog, Mr Akshay Pant said that a recent notice in the local newspapers published by the Municipal Council said that the civic body will allot shops at the Food Court to only those persons who carried out food business in the area for the last many years. “We’ve are not opposed to this idea, but the Council should consider allotment of atleast some shops to the needy sections of the society particularly handicapped and people from the backward sections. We’re considering all options and will not hesitate to approach the Court if our demands are not met,” said Mr Pant.
Moreover, as per an RTI document, the PBMC has not yet framed any guidelines for allotment of shops at the newly constructed Food Court. With any rules, the Council had planned to inaugurate the Food Court on the 26th of January this year. Such moves clearly indicate that corruption is involved in the process of allotment of shops at the Food Court, alleged Mr Pant.
Asked to comment of the allegations of corruption in allotment of shops, the Chairperson, Municipal Council, Smt Sheela Singh that the Council has adopted a transparent process for allotment of shops at the Food Court and that the delay is being caused just to keep the allotment process free of corruption. “The matter will be taken up in the next meeting of the Council and efforts will be made to allot the shops by next month,” she added.
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