Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), April 13: The Viksit Bharat, Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 has intensified rural development activity across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with multiple infrastructure and livelihood projects undertaken in April 2026 across North and Middle Andaman district.
Under the programme, the administration has rolled out a wide range of works spanning Diglipur, Mayabunder and Rangat blocks, aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure, supporting livelihoods and generating employment through sanctioned persondays.
Officials said the implementation focuses on timely execution, transparency and quality, with continuous monitoring at all levels to ensure benefits reach intended beneficiaries. The administration has also prioritised maximising persondays during the financial year while adhering to programme guidelines.
In Diglipur block, a series of community and individual-focused works have been sanctioned, including construction of fisheries ponds, earthen contour bunds for horticulture plantations, and development of water harvesting structures. Infrastructure works such as flood channels, mitti murram roads, WBM roads and katcha roads are being taken up across multiple panchayats, including Kishorinagar, Laxmipur, Madhupur and Sitanagar.
Community assets like Anganwadi centres are undergoing repair and maintenance in several locations, including Gandhinagar, Kishorinagar, Paschimsagar and Radhanagar. Additionally, projects such as development of fallow land for an eco-tourism park at DB Gram and construction of community ponds under Amrit Sarovar Phase-II reflect a focus on long-term resource creation.
Housing support under PMAY-G is also being extended in Diglipur through wage components and house construction for individual beneficiaries across Madhupur, Nabagram and Shibpur. These works collectively account for significant sanctioned persondays, with large-scale projects such as flood channel construction in Madhupur alone generating over 5,000 persondays.
In Mayabunder block, works include construction of WBM roads, community water harvesting ponds and PMAY-G housing units across panchayats such as Basantipur, Chainpur, Harinagar and Rampur. Renovation of Anganwadi centres and creation of earthen graded bunds are also underway, aimed at improving community infrastructure and agricultural support systems.
Notably, a community water harvesting pond project in Rampur village carries one of the highest personday allocations in the block, reflecting the emphasis on water resource management.
Rangat block has also seen multiple projects initiated, including renovation and construction of community water harvesting ponds in Urmilapur, Bakultala and Kaushalyanagar. Land development activities such as levelling and shaping of wasteland for community use and grazing land improvement are being undertaken in Sundergarh and Shivapuram.
Officials said these interventions are designed to create durable assets while enhancing local employment opportunities. The focus on water conservation structures, rural connectivity and land development is expected to support both agricultural productivity and community resilience.
The administration reiterated its commitment to strengthening rural livelihoods through effective implementation of the VB, GRAMG programme. By combining infrastructure creation with employment generation, the initiative seeks to address both immediate economic needs and long-term development goals across the islands.
