Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 09 November 2022
Great Nicobar Farmers Association has called for a Chakka Jam today at Joginder Nagar, Campbell Bay to press for various demands related to farmers and the general public.
The demands placed by the farmers before the administration includes:
1. Fixing Coconut Price: The farmers have demanded fixing of prices of coconut as per the Minimum Support Price announced by the Government. They informed that although the market rate of Coconut/Copra has not come down, Reflex Industries is duping the hardworking coconut growers of Great Nicobar as the industrial establishment fixes the price according to their own choice.
2. Improvement in Health Services: The facility of food for inpatients has been stopped at PHC Campbell Bay and only tea is provided these days. The RO Purifier is defunct. Earlier, Surgeons used to visit Great Nicobar regularly for family planning operations and other minor surgeries which has also been stopped.
3. Unavailability of Teachers: Teachers often get transferred from Schools of Great Nicobar but their replacements never arrive. Appointments under SSCT are also delayed every year.
4. Pathetic Condition of Roads: Many roads at Great Nicobar are in a pathetic state, especially the SH-2. The buses of the Transport Department also develop several issues every day because of the pathetic condition of the roads.
5. Replacement of High Tension Cables: The High Tension Aerial Bunched Cable installed to provide electricity to far-flung villages of Laxmi Nagar Panchayat such as Vijay Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar have become old and tattered. There is frequent interruption of electricity in the far-flung villages because of the cable.
The Chakka Jam started early this morning. The residents in their intimation letter asked the administration to provide real-time solutions instead of vague promises.