Andaman's MP to go on hunger strike

Port Blair, Feb 18 (UNI) The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Manoranjan Bhakta has decided to go on a hunger strike to press some long pending demands of the islanders.

The Congress Party MP held a series of meetings during the last two days with senior leaders of Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee(ANTCC) in Andaman before declaring to go on hunger strike.

Chief spokesperson of ANTCC K Ganeshan today told UNI, ''There are more than a hundred demands but the major ones are setting up of an Assembly for these remote islands and retention of Andaman Trunk Road with the Andaman PWD, which has been given to Border Road Organisation.

Party sources said the hunger strike would begin tomorrow morning at Tiranga Park of Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

''We have been demanding for Assembly since many years but there has been no proper response to the islanders' demands,'' Mr Ganeshan said.

However, a section of the ANTCC is not supporting the move of Mr Bhakta to go on the strike against the government, run by Congress-led UPA government.

Senior Congress leaders and various other organisation have already raised serious objection over the handing over of ATR. The ATNCC have also written to the Prime Minister and UPA Chief Sonia Gandhi demanding their intervention in the matter.

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