Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 04 September 2024
The South Andaman Area Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has launched a Panchayat Visit program aimed at engaging with the local population and understanding the issues faced by residents in rural South Andaman.
On September 1, 2024, a delegation of CPI (M) leaders and sympathisers, led by State Secretary D. Ayyappan, visited various parts of the Hope Town Gram Panchayat. The visit included interactions with a diverse cross-section of the community. The leaders met with several veteran party workers, seeking their input on reviving the party’s activities in the Hope Town Panchayat area.
Hope Town, once a stronghold for CPI (M), now faces significant challenges. Residents voiced their concerns to the CPI (M) Secretary regarding the potential acquisition of large tracts of land by the Administration for the proposed expansion of the LPG bottling plant and other developmental projects. Fishermen settlers and other villagers expressed frustration that the Administration has not engaged with them about the proposed land acquisition and the displacement it may cause.
CPI (M) leaders also noted the poor condition of rural roads and footpaths in the Hope Town Gram Panchayat, attributing the neglect to the Gram Panchayat and the Administration’s failure to carry out necessary repairs. During the visit, the CPI (M) Secretary and other leaders also met with Mrs. VD Leju, a social worker from the area, to discuss various local issues.
The CPI (M) delegation included leaders D. Laxman Rao, Dr. Gouranga Majhi, Panchayat Member Mr. Sudeesh, and several party sympathisers, who accompanied the State Secretary during this outreach effort.