An appeal has been made to the Government of India to enhance the MPLAD fund allocation for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, citing the region’s unique geographical and developmental challenges that drive up project costs significantly.
Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray, representing the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, submitted a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging a review and increase of the existing MPLAD fund ceiling. Ray highlighted that the Islands, located over 1,200 kilometres from the mainland and comprising scattered and remote islands, face unusually high expenses for civil and infrastructure projects due to the transportation of construction materials, machinery, and labour from the mainland.
According to Ray, costs in the Islands are approximately 50 to 70 percent higher than on the mainland, as per DSR-2021 standards. This financial strain affects even small-scale development projects, making initiatives like converting katcha roads into pucca roads, constructing culverts, drains, retaining walls, and creating community and sports facilities significantly more expensive. The MP also noted that establishing educational and social infrastructure, including new VKV schools in remote areas, is constrained under the current MPLAD ceiling of ₹5 crore per year.
Ray pointed out that the Parliamentary Constituency spans three districts across 8,249 square kilometres, further complicating equitable development. He emphasized that the MPLAD scheme, introduced in 1993 at ₹5 lakh per year, was subsequently enhanced to ₹1 crore in 1994–95, ₹2 crore in 1998–99, and ₹5 crore in 2011–12, but no revision has been made in over 14 years despite steep inflation in material, labour, and transportation costs, particularly affecting the Islands.
The MP also highlighted that limited capital funds have led to numerous pending projects, delaying critical infrastructure and community development work. Ray urged the government to provide an additional enhanced MPLAD allocation specifically for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, over and above the uniform allocation given to other constituencies.
He expressed hope that the government would consider this request sympathetically to support balanced, inclusive, and sustainable development in the strategically important region. The appeal underscores the need for special financial measures to address the unique challenges faced by remote and geographically dispersed constituencies.
Enhancing MPLAD funding for the Islands could accelerate infrastructure projects, improve public amenities, and ensure better access to educational and social facilities, while addressing the disproportionately high costs that currently hinder development efforts in the archipelago.
