Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 07 August 2025
In a strongly worded enchantment, the Hon’ble Member of Parliament from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, has sought pressing intervention from the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah to handle the escalating energy disaster throughout the Union Territory.
In his letter, copies of which have been despatched to the Minister of Power, Lt. Governor of A&N Islands, Chief Secretary, Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority, Chairperson of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, Secretary (Power) of A&N Administration, and different senior officers, MP Ray has highlighted the extreme mismanagement and continued blackout situations impacting the every day lives of islanders.
Expressing deep anguish, MP Ray accused the Lt. Governor Admiral D.Ok. Joshi of gross administrative failure, alleging that he has completed little to resolve the disaster over the previous eight years. He claimed the LG continues to take pleasure in uninterrupted 24×7 energy at Raj Niwas whereas extraordinary residents endure blackouts lasting as much as 16 hours every day in Port Blair, South Andaman, and inter-island areas.
“The Lt. Governor has not reviewed or addressed the worsening power situation for years. He has let the system collapse while only developing Raj Niwas for his comfort. The people are now losing patience, and protests have already started across the islands,” MP Ray said in his letter.
Key Points Highlighted by the MP:
• The Andaman & Nicobar Islands stay disconnected from the National Power Grid, with dangerously low ranges of native energy era.
• Citizens face every day unscheduled energy cuts of 8 to 16 hours, affecting households, hospitals, instructional establishments, defence institutions, and authorities places of work.
• Two essential DG units despatched for restore from Kadamtala in the course of the COVID-19 interval haven’t returned even after 4 years.
• Power provide is at present depending on technically weak personal models liable to frequent breakdowns.
• Long-term planning is absent, vital manpower is missing, and key positions—together with the submit of Superintending Engineer—have been vacant for years.
• A 20 MW solar energy mission in Port Blair is producing solely 2 MW, with no inquiry initiated into the failure.
• The Administration’s latest rationalization blaming heatwaves for load shedding was termed as “false and misleading” by the MP.
• MP Ray additionally alleged he was intentionally excluded from a high-level energy overview assembly in the course of the Power Minister’s go to in 2024, regardless of his in-depth understanding of native points.
Demands Raised by MP Ray:
1. Immediate restoration of energy provide and deployment of recent DG units to satisfy demand.
2. Action in opposition to Lt. Governor Admiral D.Ok. Joshi, together with his elimination from workplace and denial of pension advantages for administrative negligence.
3. A CBI-level investigation into the non-functional solar energy tasks at Dollygunj and Attam Pahar.
4. Formation of a central monitoring committee to evaluate the facility, well being, and infrastructure state of affairs within the islands.
5 Concrete steps to revive public confidence and stop escalation of ongoing mass protests and regulation and order disturbances.
MP Ray warned that the persons are struggling mentally, bodily, and financially, with kids’s schooling disrupted, digital home equipment broken, and livelihoods at stake.
“The people are being forced into protest. If immediate action is not taken, the situation may spiral into a full-blown crisis. Public resentment is already visible in the form of chakka jams and mass demonstrations,” he cautioned.
