Port Blair, March 7: The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray while presenting his speech during the motion of thanks in the Lok Sabha, last Thursday, raised several issues related to the lives of the people of these Islands. Talking about the unemployment problem in the Islands, he said that there are around eighty thousands unemployed graduates, struggling for their livelihood. Shri Ray said that after implementing the 6th Pay commission, though the Govt. had sanctioned three thousand posts of Group ‘D’ Category in the APWD, but later on all the posts were banned. He asked the govt. to start the recruitment process, lifting the ban. He also requested the govt. to give scale of pay to the teachers, engaged under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

 

Referring to the President’s address, Shri Ray said that the President in her address emphasized the need of increasing the provisions to provide social security to the widows, aged people and handicapped persons, but the situation in the islands remains the same. He urged the govt. to implement the pension scheme to provide Rs.1000/- per month alongwith 4 Kgs of rice, Dhoti and Sari to the widows and old aged persons. Appreciating the Welfare Schemes launched by the Delhi Govt. for the Divorcee and unmarried poor girls, the M.P asked the govt. to implement the same scheme in the Islands also, providing each beneficiary atleast an amount of Rs.1000/- per month and Rs.20,000/- for their marriage. Talking about the pathetic conditions of the Anganwadi workers and helpers, he asked the govt. to award them scale of pay instead of giving a meager honorarium of Rs.1500/- per month. He also asked to increase the quantity of the food given under the Mid-day-meal scheme, to the school students and requested to increase the quantity of the snacks given to the anganwadi children.

The M.P while mentioning the forest dwellers act, said that the act has not been implemented in the islands and around 4312 families are still living in the atmosphere of uncertainly and insecurity. He asked the govt. to include the people of Ranchi community in the ST Category.

 

In his 12 minutes speech, Shri Ray also highlighted the grievances of the fishing community, who are living in the low lying areas. He urged the govt. to shift these people to safer places, as their lives are always under the threat of Tsunami and earthquakes.