Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 03 September 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has called upon the Union Territory Administration to immediately prepare and forward the pending road work estimates under the Central Road Fund (CRF) to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), New Delhi.
Recalling the financial constraints under the Capital Head, the MP said he had personally requested Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, for central assistance. Responding positively, the Minister had consented to an allocation of ₹100 crore under the CRF and directed the Administration to submit comprehensive road work estimates. However, the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD) submitted only partial proposals, leading to approval for a limited set of works.
On August 28, 2025, MoRTH conveyed approval for 90 road projects worth ₹4,998.69 lakh, covering 49 works in 24 Municipal Wards and 41 works under APWD divisions at Prothrapur, Wimberly Gunj, Hut Bay, and Campbell Bay. While the sanction has been welcomed, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and residents of North & Middle Andaman and Nicobar Districts have expressed strong dissatisfaction over their exclusion from the proposals.
According to the MP, APWD has cited the “non-availability of local stone quarry” and the high cost of imported materials as reasons for the delay in preparing estimates. However, inputs from the District Administration, North & Middle Andaman, backed by an IIT Kharagpur report, confirm that adequate quarry resources exist at Panchawati and other sites, with only about 10% currently utilized.
Terming APWD’s stance as an “improper assessment of ground realities,” Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray warned that such lapses have already hampered vital infrastructure projects, including PMGSY-III, creating widespread resentment among Islanders.
He has demanded that APWD urgently revisit the issue in consultation with the District Administration, North & Middle Andaman, and prepare the pending CRF estimates without further delay. Stressing the urgency, he said the proposals must be forwarded to MoRTH at the earliest to meet the developmental aspirations of people across all three districts of the Union Territory.
