Sri Vijaya Puram, November 3: The Chairman of the North & Middle Andaman Zilla Parishad, Mr. Alagar Swamy, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Dinesh Sharma, for allotting land near VIP Road for the construction of a residence building for the Zilla Parishad. He said that the construction of the Zilla Parishad residence building was among his priorities, and he had been working in this direction ever since he took charge as Chairman. He had personally met the Lieutenant Governor and requested him to provide suitable land for the construction of the residence building.
The Chairman said that the allotted land is near VIP Road and adjoins the road, which will make the location very convenient for the Zilla Parishad residence building. The construction of this building will provide considerable relief to Zilla Parishad members and former members, as well as the general public, coming from Mayabunder, Diglipur and other remote areas of North & Middle Andaman. He said that his aim is not only to arrange accommodation for Zilla Parishad members but also to provide a place to stay for common people who come to Sri Vijaya Puram from remote areas for their work, so that they can complete their official and other necessary work and return to their areas.
Mr. Alagar Swamy said that the letter received from the Administration mentions not only the allotment of land but also the provision of funds for the construction of the building. He thanked the entire Administration, including the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Commissioners, the North & Middle Andaman District Administration, the Additional District Magistrate and the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, for this important initiative.
Asked about the upcoming elections and his tenure, the Chairman said that he took oath on June 14 and has completed only about five months in office. However, much of this time passed during the rainy season, which affected the pace of many development works. He said that the favourable working season is now beginning, and funds are also expected to be available in December. In such a situation, the Administration should take steps to complete the pending development works quickly.
He said that the Zilla Parishad has started the tendering process for several development works. Four tenders have already been issued, while the tendering process for many other works is still under way. These include road construction and works related to various basic facilities. He said that development works in many areas of North & Middle Andaman have been pending for a long time, and now is the right time to carry them out. Therefore, the Administration should give priority to these works and make efforts to complete them as soon as possible.
The Chairman said that once the election Model Code of Conduct comes into force, several restrictions may be imposed on development works. He therefore requested the Lieutenant Governor, the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the Election Commission to make the best use of the available time and speed up development works. He said that his aim is not to remain in office but to ensure as many development works as possible for the people during his tenure. He also said that development works should not be affected because of elections, and all elected representatives should get adequate opportunities for the development of their areas.
Mr. Alagar Swamy expressed confidence that the foundation stone of the Zilla Parishad residence building will soon be laid by the Lieutenant Governor. He hoped that the Lieutenant Governor would himself lay the foundation stone of the building and support the progress of the construction work. He said that, along with the construction of the Zilla Parishad residence building, the works related to the proposed District Building at Mayabunder should also be speeded up, so that the people of North & Middle Andaman get better facilities in the future.
