Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray has urged the Union Government to expedite two pending matters affecting wages and healthcare delivery in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, calling for immediate implementation of a High Court order granting pay parity to Daily Rated Mazdoors (DRMs) under Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and fast-tracking approval for 44 Group-C health service posts.
In a letter to the Union Home Minister, Ray sought directions to the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to implement a November 11, 2025 judgment of the Circuit Bench at Port Blair, which extended the 1/30th Pay plus Dearness Allowance (DA) benefit to DRMs working in Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and the Zilla Parishad. The ruling held that these workers are entitled to the same benefits already extended to DRMs in other departments and rejected the contention that July–August 2023 circulars do not apply to PRIs.
The court directed each Pradhan to submit, within two months, a detailed report covering the number of DRMs engaged, their dates of appointment, and wage payments made before and after implementation of the 2023 circulars. The administration was instructed to ensure strict compliance after receiving these reports. Ray noted that the matter has already been litigated and the decision has attained finality, and pressed for prompt action so that workers receive their dues without delay. The request follows repeated representations from DRM employee associations seeking parity across institutions. Officials have not yet issued a fresh directive, with final timelines linked to the submission of reports by individual PRIs.
Separately, the MP has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare seeking early clearance for the creation of 44 Group-C health service posts, 22 male health workers, and 22 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), a proposal pending since June 2025. According to the Andaman and Nicobar Administration’s submission, the posts are critical to strengthening primary and secondary healthcare services, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach areas where health centres and sub-centres operate with limited frontline staff.
The administration informed the Ministry that shortages have affected maternal care, immunisation programmes and basic primary healthcare delivery. The proposal has already received the Lieutenant Governor’s approval and was forwarded with organisational charts, sanctioned strength details and applicable recruitment rules. Provisions for these posts were included in the 2024–25 action plan aligned with national public health norms.
Ray underscored that staff constraints are directly impacting service delivery in geographically challenging pockets of the islands and urged the Ministry to process the request at the earliest. Officials said the next steps depend on the Ministry’s examination and approval; if sanctioned, the additional personnel are expected to reduce workload pressures and extend the reach of community-level health interventions.
Together, the two interventions spotlight administrative follow-through on issues central to wage uniformity and public health capacity in the islands, with both matters awaiting timely execution by the respective authorities.
