Port Blair, Nov 21: The Communist Party of India (Marxist), Andaman and Nicobar State Organising Committee has expressed concern over the difficulties being faced by people living in various islands particularly in the southern group of islands and North Andaman due to lack of ships for service to those areas.
In a resolution adopted in the meeting of the State Organising Committee held at Port Blair recently, the CPI (M) has noted that a large number of vessels of the DSS fleet are either kept idle without survey work or taking long time for completing the repair/survey work.
CPI (M) has noted with grave concern and anxiety that the vessel M.V. Kalighat, which was taken out of the service three years back, is yet to resume service while the Administration has spent several crores for paying wages to the officers and crew of the said ship besides undertaking repairs and for other works. CPI (M) demanded a high level inquiry into the lapses on the part of the officers concerned for keeping the vessels of Shipping Department idle for the last several years.
Meeting of the CPI (M) State Organising Committee has also expressed concern over the unchecked price rise in the islands, particularly after the implementation of GST. CPI (M) has noted that people are being squeezed in the name of GST in the islands.
The meeting decided to conduct Conferences of the Party Committees. The Branch and Local Conferences of the party will be held in November, 2017 while the Zonal Conferences will be held in December, 2017. The State Conference of the Party will be held in January, 2018 at Port Blair.
Shri D. Laxman Rao, Secretary and Shri Tapan Bepari, State Secretariat Member of the CPI (M) spoke at the meeting which was presided over by Shri KG Das, State Secretariat Member.
