BJP Leaders Urge Chief Secretary to Reinstate APWD Contractor Enlistment System

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 24 April 2025

In a big transfer aimed toward boosting native employment and supporting aspiring entrepreneurs within the civil engineering sector, a delegation comprising Mr. M. Raj Kumar, State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Minority Morcha (BJMM), Mr. P. Yogesh, President of Yuva Morcha (Port Blair City), and Mr. Vipin Jackob, Mandal President of Prothrapur Mandal of BJP, not too long ago met with the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to debate the pressing want for resuming the contractor enlistment system underneath the Andaman Public Works Department (APWD).

The delegation submitted a proper illustration highlighting the antagonistic affect of the discontinuation of the enlistment system, which beforehand enabled unemployed civil engineers—each diploma and diploma holders—to register as contractors and entry small-scale authorities contracts. The letter emphasised that this method had been a vital supply of livelihood for a whole lot of native engineers and staff earlier than it was discontinued within the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, tenders are awarded solely primarily based on earlier contractor expertise, successfully sidelining recent engineering graduates who lack sensible contracting historical past. “The absence of major industries in the islands has left unemployed engineers with limited avenues. Reviving the enlistment system would not only create opportunities for them but also strengthen the local economy that heavily depends on the civil construction sector,” Mr. Raj Kumar acknowledged within the memorandum.

The letter additionally underscored the significance of regulation within the development sector, noting that the enlistment framework had served as a significant examine on unfair commerce practices. Without it, the delegation warned, contractors stay largely unregulated.

They urged the Chief Secretary to concern directives to APWD authorities to reinstate the enlistment course of, making an allowance for each the expertise and monetary capability of contractors.

The illustration was additionally forwarded to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor, the Secretary of APWD, and the Chief Engineer for additional consideration and obligatory motion.