Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 22 June 2022
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi, State President, BJP, Mr. Vishal Jolly, National Executive Member, BJP and Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Ex-Member of Parliament, A & N Islands recently met Mr. Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Mr. J.P Nadda, National President, Bharatiya Janata Party at New Delhi and informed them of various issues of the Islands. The delegation of leaders was led by Mr. Y Satya Kumar, National Secretary, BJP. Upon returning from New Delhi the leaders called for a Press Conference today and informed the media of the issues they raised before the Union Home Minister and National President, BJP.
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi while speaking during the Press Conference informed the Media that they had a very fruitful meeting with the Union Home Minister and the National President of BJP.
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi informed that the following issues were raised before the dignitaries at New Delhi:
1. Katchal Tamil Settlers Resettlement Issue
Mr. Bairagi informed that BJP has been raising the issue of rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamil Settlers. BJP also took the leaders of the Sri Lankan Settlers to New Delhi earlier and raised their issue before the Minsters.
The delegation demanded that the Katchal Tamil Settlers should be resettled at Shaitan Khari in South Andaman as ample land is available in the Rubber Plantation area.
2. Regularisation of Encroached Revenue Land
Mr . Bairagi informed that Sheker Singh Commission had recommended 7th May 2022 as the cutoff date for regularisation of the encroachment, but due to the ineffectiveness of the UPA regime, the same was not implemented. He also informed that the Vivek Rae committee was formed to review the Sheker Singh commission report, by the Home Ministry, during the last tenure of the NDA Govt. He informed that the Vivek Rae Committee also favoured the cutoff date set by Sheker Singh Commission.
Mr. Bairagi added that they requested for early regularisation of encroached land.
3. Allotment of land to Dependent Members of Pre-42 & Registered Settler Families and to Pre-78 and Post-78 Forest Encroachers
Mr. Bairagi informed that in the IDA meeting held under the Chairmanship of Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it was decided that land will be allotted to dependent family members of Pre-42 and Registered Settler Families.
He also informed that further the land allotment and financial package were also decided for Pre-78 and Post-78 forest encroachers in the same meeting.
Pre-78 Forest Encroachers received the land promised to them, but Post-78 Forest Encroachers did not receive the land.
The leaders requested land allotment to the left-out categories.
4. One Time Relaxation for Building Violations under PBMC
The leaders demanded one-time relaxation for Building Violations under PBMC.
5. Regularisation of DRMs in PBMC
There are 249 vacant posts in PBMC. Out of the 249 posts, 189 posts are of Work Charged Mazdoor and 60 posts are of Sanitary Mazdoor.
400 Mazdoors are already working in PBMC for the last 20 years against the 249 vacant posts.
Leaders demanded that based on seniority these Mazdoors should be regularised.
6. Filling up of the Vacant posts under Andaman and Nicobar Administration
Around 10,000 posts under Andaman and Nicobar Administration are vacant.
Leaders demanded that all the posts should be filled up.
Mr. Vishal Jolly while speaking to the Media informed that the following issues were highlighted before the national leaders:
1. Reservation of Jobs for Islanders
Leaders requested the dignitaries to provide reservations in jobs to Islanders for Group B (Non-Gazetted) and Group C posts.
2. Rollback to the Exorbitant Increase in Stamp Duty and Registration Charges
Earlier stamp duty was 1.5% and registration charges were 0.75% and the total of both was 2.25%.
Now it has been enhanced to 6% for women and 7% for men.
The leaders demanded a roll back to the exorbitant increase in Stamp Duty and Registration Charges. They also demanded zero stamp duty for gifting the land.
3. Other Land Issues
The leaders requested allowing the sale of a part of one’s land. They also demanded the removal of restrictions on the sale of land after diversion, at present if diversion of land is carried out it cannot be sold for 10 years. The leaders informed that these are not rules, but are implemented by way of administrative orders.
Diversion & Conversion of land is not being carried out for almost three years and because of which, Central Govt. Schemes are not being implemented properly. People are also not able to construct their houses. Leaders demanded to start the diversion & conversion of land immediately.
4. Rollback in the Curtailment of the Powers of the Elected Representatives
Leaders informed that the powers of the PRIs under 73rd Amendment of the Constitution have been curtailed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the powers of the elected representatives have been given to the officials. Leaders requested restoration of the powers to the PRI Members.
5. ST/OBC Status to various Communities
Ranchi Community of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is socially, and economically backward.
Leaders demanded reservation for the Ranchi Community by providing ST or OBC status. They also demanded revision of OBC in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and inclusion of Tamil, Telugu, Malayali and other communities who have claimed OBC Status.
6. Settlement of the issue of Compensation in Lieu of Land to the Tsunami Affected Farmers
During UPA regime Tsunami affected land was taken from the affected farmers and compensation of just Rs. 9 Lakhs/Hectare was given to them. The farmers are unhappy with the compensation amount.
Leaders demanded settlement of the Compensation in lieu of land issue as per the recommendations of the Vivek Rae Committee. The committee recommended Rs. 34 Lakhs/Hectare compensation.
Leaders demanded that those who wish to take compensation should be given the compensation. They further recommended that the farmers whose land is reclaimed or reclaimable should be allowed to keep their land if they wish to do so.
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray also spoke to the media and highlighted the following issues presented before the dignitaries:
1. Increasing the Financial support to Panchayati Raj Institutions
The leaders demanded increasing the financial support to Panchayati Raj Institutions. They demanded a total of 30% of the UT Budget should be distributed to Panchayati Raj Institutions for the effective development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
They highlighted that a Pradhan can only construct 1 Km of road in a year, a Zilla Parishad and a Samiti Member can only construct 0.5 Km of road from the finances allocated to them now.
2. Revival of ANISHI Scheme
Leaders demanded the revival of ANISHI Scheme for Islanders.
3. Improvement in Electricity Suply
Leaders demanded improvement in Electricity Supply by Construction of an LNG Power Plant. Mr. Bishnu also added that during the visit of Mr. Abdul Kalam to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands he had recommended the construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in the Islands.