Sri Vijaya Puram, October 12: Shortages of essential medicines, delays in the construction of a dialysis unit, pending road development works and a non-functional mobile tower have emerged as key public infrastructure concerns in Baratang Island, prompting the North and Middle Andaman district administration to direct departmental intervention.
The issues came to the fore during a public outreach exercise under the district administration’s Sampark Se Samadhan – Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore initiative, with Deputy Commissioner Sushant Padha, IAS, reviewing the status of healthcare services and infrastructure in different locations of Baratang Island.
At the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Baratang, the Deputy Commissioner reviewed the availability of medicines and other essential healthcare facilities and directed officials to ensure timely procurement and adequate stocks of essential medicines. The directions follow the need to maintain uninterrupted access to basic healthcare for residents, particularly those who may face difficulties travelling to distant facilities for treatment.
The construction of a dialysis unit at Baratang was another key issue highlighted during the assessment. Padha instructed the Executive Engineer concerned to expedite the work so that patients requiring dialysis can access treatment locally instead of travelling to distant healthcare centres.
The completion of the unit could significantly improve access to specialised treatment for patients in Baratang and surrounding areas. However, no specific deadline for completing the construction or operationalising the facility was announced.
Road connectivity remains another concern, particularly for residents of the Ranchi settlement at Vijay Garh-I. Reviewing the status of road development works in the area, the Deputy Commissioner directed the concerned officials to accelerate the work and ensure its completion after obtaining the requisite No Objection Certificate from the Forest authorities.
The requirement for forest clearance remains a necessary step before the work can proceed in accordance with applicable procedures. The administration has stressed the importance of all-weather road connectivity, which is essential for daily movement and access to public services.
At Khara Nallah, residents raised road-related grievances, seeking attention to connectivity issues affecting the locality. The Deputy Commissioner assured them that the matter would be taken up on priority at the forthcoming meeting of the District Planning Committee (DPC) for consideration and necessary action.
The assurance places the issue before the district-level planning mechanism, although the nature of the proposed intervention, funding arrangements and implementation timeline have not yet been specified.
Mobile connectivity has also emerged as a concern for residents of Khara Nallah, where a non-functional mobile tower has disrupted communication services. The issue was brought to the administration’s attention during the outreach exercise and was noted for follow-up with the concerned authorities to facilitate restoration of the service.
The disruption highlights the dependence of remote settlements on functioning telecommunications infrastructure for routine communication and access to digital services. However, no restoration schedule was announced.
The concerns identified in Baratang span three critical areas of public service delivery: healthcare, physical connectivity and telecommunications. While directions have been issued for maintaining medicine stocks and expediting the dialysis unit and road works, the resolution of the pending issues will depend on follow-up by the respective departments and coordination with the authorities responsible for forest clearances and mobile network infrastructure.
The outreach initiative, Sampark Se Samadhan – Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore, is intended to identify local grievances through direct interaction with residents and facilitate administrative action.
The latest assessment has brought several long-standing infrastructure and service-delivery needs into focus. Residents will now look to the concerned departments for tangible progress on the issues raised, particularly the availability of essential healthcare services, improved road access and restoration of reliable mobile connectivity.
The Deputy Commissioner was accompanied during the assessment by R. Alager Swamy, Adhyaksh of the Zilla Parishad, North and Middle Andaman; Assistant Commissioner, Rangat, Deepanshu Vohra; and officers of the concerned departments.
