DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, July 05: The row over installation of the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Diglipur in North Andaman have ended after two years after the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Statue Establishment Committee (NSCBSEC) and the administration arrived at a consensus on last Monday and the statue was surrendered to the Andaman Public Works Department.
The government agency then installed the statue temporarily at Children’s Park and commenced minor repair works around the Park. According to sources, the administration will now decide a particular date for permanent installation of the statue at Diglipur.
Two years earlier, the statue of Subhash Chandra Bose was installed at North Andamans, Diglipur Sub Division by the members of NSCBSEC and the officials of the revenue department removed the statue following an order of the Apex Court that bars installation of statues in public places.
The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray sat on a hunger strike and Diglipur bandh that day. After assurances from the Special Committee, under the chairmanship of the then Principal Secretary (Revenue), Smt Rina Ray with Secretary (Law) Mr. Theva Nidhi Das and Deputy Commissioner (N&M), flew to Diglipur, to persuade the MP, Mr Ray called off the hunger strike. Later, the members of NSCBSE committee members declined the proposal of the administration for installation of the statue at Children’s Park where temporary arrangement were made.
