Weigh Bridge, NH-4 and Higher Education: AAP’s Dr Arun Kumar Mallik Outlines Demands and Government Follow-Up
Port Blair: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Andaman & Nicobar State President Dr Arun Kumar Mallik addressed a press briefing covering two broad sets of issues concerning the islands — the operation and enforcement of weigh bridges and weight restrictions along NH-4, and a range of higher-education concerns, including the proposed private university regulation, introduction of a BBA course in North & Middle Andaman, and preference for local candidates in guest lecturer appointments.
At the outset, Dr Mallik said the briefing was intended to provide updates on issues that had recently generated public discussion, particularly the weigh bridge issue and higher education in the islands. He was accompanied by AAP Vice President Sultan Ahmed.
Weigh Bridge Issue: From Representation to Technical Examination
Dr Mallik said the issue came to his attention after members of the Andaman Nicobar Truck Owners Association approached him and requested that he take up their concerns with the Administration.
According to him, the association had been attempting since 2023 to establish a weigh bridge. He said that by the end of 2024, the facility had been constructed with specifications required for a weigh bridge on a National Highway and that it was inaugurated in 2025. However, he claimed that the facility remained non-operational for approximately a year.
Dr Mallik said he subsequently examined the available documentation and, along with another representative, inspected the weigh bridge located along NH-4 near Mayabunder. Following the inspection, he said he submitted a representation to the Andaman & Nicobar Administration's concerned Shipping and Transport authorities, requesting that the facility be operationalised.
He argued that operationalising the weigh bridge was important not simply as an enforcement measure but also from a road-safety perspective.
According to Dr Mallik, controlling vehicle weight could help prevent excessive loading, reduce damage to roads and potentially lower the risk of accidents involving drivers of overloaded vehicles.
Enforcement Begins and Surprise Checks Conducted
Dr Mallik said the Administration subsequently examined the matter and that the weigh bridge became operational after his representation.
He also credited the Regional Transport Office (RTO) with beginning surprise checks. According to his account, several vehicles were checked and penalties were imposed for violations, with enforcement being carried out in connection with the applicable rules governing NH-4.
The enforcement, however, subsequently became controversial among sections of truck owners, according to Dr Mallik.
He said some vehicle owners opposed the restrictions because vehicles that had previously been carrying loads beyond permitted limits were no longer able to do so. He also referred to a strike and a protest involving a truck/pickup association in Diglipur, while expressing his view that the protest was unnecessary.
Allegations of Selective Enforcement
Another concern raised by Dr Mallik was what he described as complaints of uneven or selective enforcement.
He said some vehicle owners were alleging that certain vehicles were being stopped or checked while others carrying excess weight were not being subjected to the same action.
He subsequently submitted another representation to the Administration, outlining what he described as four principal requests:
- Construction of an additional weigh bridge
- Continuation of enforcement and surprise checks
- Making use of the existing weigh bridge mandatory for commercial goods vehicles
- Exemptions or special arrangements for vehicles transporting perishable goods
Dr Mallik said the objective should be to ensure that commercial goods vehicles travelling between Port Blair and Diglipur through NH-4 are subject to appropriate weight checks.
The allegation of selective enforcement was presented during the briefing as a concern raised by vehicle owners; the briefing material does not independently establish whether enforcement was in fact selective.
Fresh Vegetables and Perishable Goods
One of the more specific requests concerned vehicles carrying fresh vegetables and other perishable goods.
Dr Mallik said he had received complaints that farmers and vegetable sellers in Diglipur were being affected by delays associated with the protest and restrictions.
He said he contacted a farmers' association in Diglipur and was told that vegetables were being affected.
He therefore requested that vehicles carrying perishable goods receive appropriate consideration so that essential produce could move without unnecessary delay. He also referred to exemption from the applicable user fee for such vehicles as part of his representation.
NHIDCL Examines the Proposals
A major portion of the briefing centred on a response that Dr Mallik said he had received from NHIDCL following his representation.
He said the Administration had officially forwarded his requests to NHIDCL for technical examination because the proposals related to NH infrastructure.
According to Dr Mallik, NHIDCL's engineers examined the five requests contained in his representation.
On the proposal for an additional weigh bridge, Dr Mallik said the technical response described the idea positively, while making clear that the decision to construct a new facility would have to be taken by the concerned Transport Department and Administration.
He emphasised that an additional weigh bridge could not simply be constructed immediately and would require planning, funding and coordination between departments and districts.
He said the issue could involve both North & Middle Andaman and South Andaman, requiring coordination across the relevant administrative and transport authorities.
Mandatory Use of the Existing Weigh Bridge
Dr Mallik also advocated making the existing weigh bridge mandatory for commercial goods vehicles.
His argument was that all commercial goods vehicles travelling on NH-4 between Port Blair and Diglipur should undergo weight checks to determine whether they were carrying loads within the permitted limits.
He said the technical response from NHIDCL had also addressed the issue and that implementation would require coordination among the Transport Department, Legal Metrology authorities and the district administration.
According to Dr Mallik, the objective was not merely to penalise drivers but to ensure compliance with weight restrictions and protect the road infrastructure.
12-Tonne Restriction and Ferry Safety
Another issue discussed was the 12-tonne maximum weight restriction in connection with vehicle movement through the ferry system.
Dr Mallik said the 12-tonne figure had a technical basis and referred to it as a weight limit advised in relation to ferry safety. He said vehicles exceeding the permissible weight could create a risk of damage to the ferry.
He maintained that the relevant technical recommendations should be strictly complied with.
The briefing material contains some unclear automated transcription around the precise technical terminology and the departments involved, and those portions have therefore not been expanded beyond what can reasonably be established from the recording transcript.
Road Safety at the Centre of the Argument
Dr Mallik repeatedly linked the weigh bridge issue to road safety.
He said weight control could prevent excessive loading and help preserve the road surface. He also argued that lighter and properly loaded vehicles would be easier for drivers to operate and could reduce accident risks.
He appealed to truck owners and drivers to comply with the applicable rules, noting that enforcement action can directly affect drivers even when the vehicle is owned by someone else.
He further argued that changes to enforcement practices may initially cause inconvenience but eventually become part of normal road-safety compliance.
NH-4 Progress and Future Construction
Dr Mallik also spoke about the wider development of NH-4.
He said he had met an NHIDCL Executive Director in Port Blair and discussed the challenges associated with completing the highway.
He said one of his principal concerns was the condition and connectivity of roads serving residents of North & Middle Andaman.
According to information he said was shared during the meeting, NH-4 was expected to reach significant milestones in the coming period. However, the briefing material contains some unclear dates and place names in this portion, and the specific completion dates mentioned verbally should therefore be treated as statements attributed to the speaker rather than independently verified project timelines.
Dr Mallik said he intended to continue pursuing the issue of an additional weigh bridge in his capacity as AAP State President, while acknowledging that construction would require administrative decisions, funding and inter-departmental coordination.
Higher Education: Second Major Issue
After concluding the weigh bridge and NH-4 discussion, Dr Mallik moved to the second major subject of the briefing — higher education in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
He referred to the recent controversy surrounding the introduction and transition towards the new university system and said the protests associated with the issue had subsequently been withdrawn.
He also discussed the proposed Andaman & Nicobar Private University Regulation, 2026, stressing that a regulation being formulated should not automatically be interpreted as meaning that multiple private universities had already been established in the islands.
Private University Regulation 2026
Dr Mallik said he had submitted his comments and suggestions concerning the proposed private university regulation.
He said he had spoken with the Directorate/Department of Higher Education and received information that some of the suggestions he had submitted were being considered.
He also used the issue to emphasise his approach to political engagement, saying that he communicates with officials through letters and emails and follows up on representations rather than limiting his efforts to social media posts.
He cited his correspondence on the weigh bridge issue as an example, saying that the Administration had acted on his representation by referring the matter to NHIDCL for technical examination.
Demand for BBA Course in North & Middle Andaman
Dr Mallik then raised a specific educational demand from North & Middle Andaman.
He said a resident from the region had approached him regarding the absence of a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) course at Mahatma Gandhi Government College.
According to him, several higher-education institutions in Port Blair already offer management-related education, but students in North & Middle Andaman do not have the same access to a BBA course locally.
Dr Mallik said introducing BBA at the college would provide students with access to management education closer to home and potentially equip them with skills that could be used in further education and employment.
He said he had received a written representation on the issue and had subsequently written to the Education Department. He added that the department was considering the proposal.
Preference for Local Candidates as Guest Lecturers
The third higher-education issue concerned the appointment of guest lecturers.
Dr Mallik said guest lecturers are appointed from both the mainland and within the islands.
He said he had received information that the Administration was considering giving first preference to eligible local PhD-qualified candidates before considering candidates from the mainland.
He welcomed such a move and argued that qualified local candidates should receive preference in guest lecturer appointments.
He connected this position with his broader advocacy for greater employment opportunities for Islanders, reiterating his stated preference for a high level of reservation of government jobs for local candidates.
Two Sets of Issues, One Broader Political Message
The press briefing ultimately brought together two very different policy areas.
On transport and infrastructure, Dr Mallik's focus was on the functioning of the weigh bridge, enforcement of vehicle weight limits, road safety, protection of NH-4, ferry-related restrictions, an additional weigh bridge and special consideration for vehicles carrying perishable goods.
On higher education, he focused on the proposed Private University Regulation 2026, the transition to the new university system, introducing BBA at Mahatma Gandhi Government College in North & Middle Andaman, and giving preference to qualified local candidates for guest lecturer positions.
A recurring theme throughout the briefing was the role of written representations and administrative follow-up.
Dr Mallik presented the technical examination by NHIDCL as an example of how a political representation can move from a public demand to examination by the relevant technical authority.
At the same time, several statements made during the briefing—including allegations regarding selective enforcement, descriptions of protests as unnecessary, and projected timelines for NH-4—remain claims or assessments made by the speaker and are not independently established by the briefing material.
The briefing concluded with Dr Mallik thanking Islanders and those watching the live broadcast for following the two sets of issues.