Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 01: A meeting of the Port Blair City Area Committee of CPI (M) was held at Shaheed Bhavan, Anarkali on 29th September, 2025. The meeting discussed the various burning issues of the people of Port Blair town especially the deteriorating condition of urban roads, health sector issues, unhygienic condition of the town, stray animals on the roads, inability of Govt of India to conduct timely repairs of Chatham Bridge, etc. The meeting noted that almost all the roads, except the one or two roads around the Secretariat and Raj Nivas, are in bad condition, often causing accidents. Vehicle riders especially the two wheeler riders find face grave threat of fatal accidents while riding the vehicles on the pothole-ridden roads. The meeting decided to hold a mass demonstration in front of the office of the Chief Engineer, APWD on this issue.
The CPI (M) Area Committee meeting noted that though the construction of the District Hospital building at Garacharma has been completed long back, the District Hospital from GB Pant Hospital has not been shifted to Garacharma. Only the Primary Health Centre, Garacharma has been shifted to the new building. The CPI (M) Area Committee meeting further noted that the condition of the health care facilities in the Municipal area particularly in the GB Pant Hospital of the ANIIMS is in worst condition. MRI machine has been out of order for the last 1 ½ year and patients are diverted to private testing centres/clinics for MRI test. Ultrasound machines are also not functioning in the GB Pant Hospital and patients are either asked to go to private facilities or taken to Naval hospital for conducting the tests. Most of the medicines are not available in the hospitals. The meeting noted that the central government and A & N Administration have failed to increase/upgrade the health care facilities in the islands and the people are put to hardship.
The Area Committee meeting observed that the town is kept in a most unhygienic condition by the BJP-ruled Municipal Council. Garbage is found dumped on the road-side throughout the town as the Municipal Council stopped door to door collection of garbage. Meeting noted that the workers who were recruited for sanitation work are diverted for other purpose like personal use by councilors, officers and staff of the Municipal Council, etc.
The Area Committee meeting noted that the people of the town and rural South Andaman areas are experiencing difficulties to commute between Chatham and Bambooflat due to the closure of Chatham Bridge for vehicular traffic as the Government of India and A & N Administration failed to undertake timely repair of the Chatham Bridge. Government employees and workers, students, patients visiting GB Pant Hospital and others are all put to inconvenience as they are forced to walk from Chatham jetty upto Chatham Police station junction at Haddo.
The meeting further noted that stray animals (cow, dogs, pigs, etc) are freely roaming on the urban roads without any check by the Municipal Council authorities. Rearing of pigs, which was banned in the town several years ago, are now a common feature in many parts of the town because of which accidents involving two wheeler riders have occurred several times.
The Party meeting also expressed concern over the harassment of passengers by the contractor firms engaged by the Airport Authority of India and decided to take up the matter with the concerned authorities.
Hence, the CPI (M) Port Blair City Area Committee meeting decided to resort to agitations on various dates on the above issues, details of which will be decided in due course of time.
R. Surendran Pillai presided over the meeting. P. Sathyapal, Secretary, CPI (M) Port Blair City Area Committee presented a report. D. Ayyappan, State Secretary and D. Laxman Rao, State Secretariat Member were also present in the meeting.
