Sri Vijaya Puram, June 11: CPI (M) Andaman & Nicobar State Secretariat views with concern the sheer neglect of the people of Andaman & Nicobar Islands by the BJP-led central government in respect of various burning issues of the islanders. The State Secretariat noted that while the BJP and the Andaman & Nicobar Administration have been continuously boasting of the so-called achievements of the 11 years of Modi government, the reality is sharply different in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. CPI (M) views that the 11 years of Modi government is utter failure in the country in general and in Andaman & Nicobar Islands in particular. Most of the burning issues of the islanders remain unattended or unresolved.
Attempts are being made to disrupt the communal harmony prevailing in these islands. Sangh Parivar and other communal forces are trying to whip up passion among the islanders. CPI (M) calls upon the islanders to keep away from the machinations of the communal forces and remain united.
Growing corruption among the ruling politicians and bureaucrats is a major concern in the islands. The corruption and mis-management in the A & N State Cooperative Bank Ltd. is being hushed up by the BJP and Congress leaders with the help of Modi government. The eye-wash investigation currently underway in the Bank is not going to yield any result. The Modi government is blatantly supporting the Congress-ruled State Cooperative Bank Ltd. Demands made by CPI (M) for investigation by ED, CBI and Income Tax about the largescale corruption in the State Cooperative Bank remain unaccepted. Large-scale corruption in the Zilla Parishads and Municipal Council has been reported in the media several times involving Congress and BJP politicians but no action has been taken to investigate on it. The Zilla Parishads and Municipal Council are ruled by BJP and Congress turn-wise and both the parties are jointly ruling these local bodies without raising any allegations of corruption by each other. During the 11 years of Modi government, corruption has grown in the islands without any check.
The functioning of almost all the departments under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration has been adversely affected during the last 11 years under Modi rule. In many of the departments, Heads of Departments are posted on temporary measures. DANICS officers are posted to manage even the Technical Departments like Electricity, Agriculture, Fisheries, etc. People are forced to run from pillar to post to get their works done. Citizens’ charters and services remain only on the papers.
It is a shame on the central government that it could not provide electricity to a small population of 2.5 lakhs living in the Port Blair town and rural South Andaman areas. Despite repeated assurances of mega projects during the last 11 years, the people of the town and rural South Andaman remain without power supply for several hours daily.
As regards drinking water supply in the Municipal area and rural areas throughout the islands, CPI (M) noted that the BJP-led government has done nothing to improve the situation. The entire water supply system became disrupted due to the utter neglect of the Municipal Council and A & N Administration. The Municipal Council, APWD, Electricity Department and A & N Administration blame each other for the disruption in the water supply and inconvenience to the people for the last several days.
Agriculture sector has been completely neglected by the Modi government’s 11 years of rule. Like on the mainland, farmers in these islands are also facing difficulties to get the fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, etc. No effort has been made to improve the fisheries sector and the poor fishermen continue to remain half-starved in the islands due to the wrong policies of the government.
Modi government’s 11 years of rule has utterly failed to improve the health care system in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The only medical college (ANIIMS) in government sector (under a Society) is continuously being neglected. No effort has been made to run this medical College on a permanent basis. Faculty and other employees are appointed on contract basis in the absence of any regular posts. Health institutions in the entire union territory lack sufficient medicine, equipment and doctors. The GB Pant Hospital at Port Blair is over-crowded and patients do not get proper attention. The Ayushman scheme in the islands proved to be another failure as it has no use for the majority of the population.
Modi government is trying to implement the 76,000 crore Great Nicobar Project in a secret manner, without involving the local population and deliberately bypassing the environmental concerns raised from various quarters.
Renovation work of NH 4 was started during 2015, but despite lapse of ten years, the work of this National Highway is yet to be completed, causing considerable difficulties for the people living in North and Middle Andaman District. Panchayat-raj members of North and Middle Andaman have come out openly criticizing the delay in completion of the work. Entire rural roads and a large number of urban roads in the islands remain in a deplorable condition due to lack of repairs and maintenance.
Education system in the islands has seen a drastic deterioration during the 11 years of Modi rule. Schools remained without teachers and Heads of Institutions and class rooms and other facilities. Public education is being marginalized in a systematic manner. No effort has been made to improve the quality of education in government schools and to arrest the drop in enrolment. Higher education sector is under threat, with the affiliation of existing Colleges to the newly established Deemed University after disaffiliating from the Pondicherry University.
Shipping is another sector where the 11-year rule of Modi government proved to be worthless. At present, there is no ship available for service between islands and mainland. Small vessels which were acquired for inter-island services are deployed for island-mainland sector. Modi government abruptly stopped construction of two passenger ships of 1200 passenger capacity at Cochin shipyard without any consultation with the islanders or their representatives.
Price rise is another issue where Modi government has failed to take any effective step during the last 11 years.
Privatization of government departments and work is in full swing in the islands. Workers and employees are recruited on contract and outsourced basis, abandoning the concept of regular government service.
Problems of workers are neglected by the Modi government. The central government has outrightly rejected the proposal of the A & N Administration, mooted on the basis of High Court order, for regularization of nearly 9000 daily rated mazdoors working in various departments under the A & N Administration. Labour laws are being changed to suite the interests of industrialists in the country. In A & N Islands, minimum wages fixed by the Administration are not being paid to the workers by the contractors at various places.