Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 3: Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has urged the A&N Administration to urgently prepare and submit the pending road work estimates under the Central Road Fund (CRF) to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), New Delhi, on priority basis.
The MP recalled that due to shortage of funds under the Capital Head for the Union Territory, he had personally requested Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways, for central assistance. Responding positively, the Hon’ble Minister had consented to provide fund Rs. 100 crore under the CRF and directed the UT Administration to submit road work estimates. However, APWD submitted only partial proposals instead of comprehensive estimates covering all three districts, resulting in approval being accorded only for limited works.
On 28th August 2025, MoRTH conveyed approval for 90 road works worth Rs. 4998.69 lakhs covering 49 works for 24 Municipal Wards and 41 works under APWD divisions including Prothrapur, Wimberly Gunj, Hut Bay, and Campbell Bay. While this sanction has been welcomed, serious concerns are being raised by PRIs and the public of North & Middle Andaman and Nicobar Districts, questioning why their areas were left out from the proposals.
The Hon’ble MP pointed out that APWD has cited “non-availability of local stone quarry” and inclusion of imported quarry costs as the reasons for delay in preparing estimates. However, as per inputs obtained from the District Administration, North & Middle Andaman, and supported by an IIT Kharagpur report, adequate stone quarry resources are available locally at Panchawati and other sites, with only about 10% utilized so far.
Terming the APWD’s repeated reasoning as “improper assessment of ground realities,” Shri Bishnu Pada Ray expressed concern that such lapses have already stalled crucial infrastructure projects, including PMGSY-III, thereby causing resentment among Islanders.
The Hon’ble MP has demanded that APWD urgently reassess the situation in consultation with the District Administration, North & Middle Andaman, and immediately prepare and forward the pending CRF estimates to MoRTH for early sanction. He stressed that the matter should be treated as most urgent, keeping in view the developmental aspirations of the people of all districts in the UT.