Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 28 April 2025
Expressing deep concern over the longstanding hardships faced by tsunami-affected families in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament, A&N Islands, has urged the administration to grant tenancy rights to the allottees of permanent tsunami shelters.
In a written communication addressed to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor of the A&N Islands — with copies endorsed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Union Home Minister — Mr. Ray has sought urgent intervention to address the plight of the affected families.
Highlighting the issue, Mr. Ray noted that permanent shelters constructed between 2006 and 2009 at locations including Campbell Bay, Little Andaman, Sippighat, Terelabad, Burmanallah, Calicut, Chouldhari, Nayashahar, and Bambooflat were allotted to families who had lost lives and property in the devastating 2004 tsunami. Built through a collaborative effort between government agencies and NGOs, these shelters have provided basic housing for the past 16 years.
However, despite being issued formal allotment orders and managing their own utility services such as water and electricity, the allottees have neither received financial assistance for repairs nor any legal titles to their shelters. Over the years, the shelters have fallen into a dilapidated state, with many structures suffering severe damage.
Adding to the residents’ challenges is the absence of tenancy rights or legal ownership over the approximately 200 square meters of land each household occupies. Without legal tenure, families remain ineligible for bank loans, government housing schemes, or formal support for renovations.
Mr. Ray has urged that tenancy rights, in the form of licences under the A&N Islands Land Revenue and Land Reforms Regulation, 1966, and its associated rules, be issued to the affected families. He emphasized that granting such rights would enable residents to access financial assistance, rebuild and maintain their homes, and improve their overall quality of life.
He expressed hope that the Hon’ble Lt. Governor would act swiftly and compassionately to secure the legal rights and dignity of the tsunami-affected families.