Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 17 November 2025:
A door-to-door survey and census to identify all persons and families affected by the proposed land acquisition for the Greenfield International Airport at Great Nicobar Island is set to begin today in the revenue villages of Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar in Campbell Bay tehsil. The exercise has been launched under Section 16 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013, following the Collector’s preliminary notification.
This process has been initiated by the Administrator for Rehabilitation and Resettlement — the Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar District — as required under the Act. The Administrator has appointed field census teams and a verification team and placed the operation under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay. The census-survey is being held after the land-acquisition notification (Notification No. 34-725/2021-Rev dated 06 November 2025).
The purpose of this combined survey and census is simple: to identify and record every affected person and family — including title-holders, tenants, sharecroppers, agricultural labourers, artisans, forest dwellers and others who depend on the land — so that their claims, entitlements and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) needs can be determined under the RFCTLARR Act. The land involved measures 834.6437 hectares in the two revenue villages and is proposed to be acquired for the Greenfield Airport (GNI) Project.
Two field teams will carry out door-to-door visits and fill in the prescribed forms (Tables T-1 to T-4) required under the Act. Team-1, led by Mrs. Madhuri Sharma, Executive Engineer, APWD (Campbell Bay), will cover the entire revenue village of Shastri Nagar. Team-2, led by Mr. Soundara Pandian, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Campbell Bay), will cover the entire revenue village of Gandhi Nagar. Each team includes officials and field workers from various departments.
A separate Verification Team — made up of senior officers including the Executive Engineer (APWD), ACF Campbell Bay, Senior Veterinary Officer, Tehsildar Campbell Bay, Tribal Welfare Officer and the Block Development Officer — will review and authenticate the data collected by the field teams. After verification, the Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay will consolidate the validated records and forward them to the Deputy Commissioner (Administrator, R&R Scheme) in the formats required under Section 16 of the act and the A&N Islands RFCTLARR Rules, 2018.
The census-survey will be held from 17 November 2025 to 2 December 2025, with fieldwork taking place daily between 9 AM and 5 PM. Affected persons are asked to remain at their premises during these hours. Those having rights, claims, tenancy, or dependence on the land are required to produce necessary documents/records/testimonies for verification.
For any details, the public has been asked to contact Mr. Ahmed Ali, In-charge, Land Acquisition Cell, Office of the Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay. Phone numbers provided are 6303064268, 9474221213 and the Campbell Bay office line 03193-264264.
This combined survey and census is a mandatory, early step in the R&R process. Its objective is to ensure transparency and to make sure every affected person is recorded correctly before decisions on compensation and rehabilitation packages are taken.
