Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, May 03: On one hand the Administration is talking about development and promotion of tourism in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and on the other hand, the same Administration has made the process of conversion of land, so complex that the development process of these Islands has taken a back seat.
The business community of these Islands is fuming as they are facing difficulties in conversion of Agricultural land into Commercial land in these Islands.
“The Administration has taken the power from the Assistant Commissioner and formed a committee, which would give permission for conversation of Agricultural Land into Commercial Land and this is causing unnecessary delay in land conversation process and hence business community is unable to start new business ventures,” a top member of Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) told Andaman Sheekha today.
However, many in administration and various local associations have their own views about this entire issue. Many strongly believe that these Islands are fast losing agricultural lands and in many cases poor farmers are getting only peanuts after selling their agricultural land to fat businessmen.
There were examples where lands were purchased from farmers in throwaway prizes and the same land was sold to big business houses again at unbelievably high rate.
But businessmen community argues that without conversion of agricultural land to commercial land development is impossible in A & N Islands.
“We face difficulty even to convert those agricultural lands into commercial land, which were purchased 5 to 10 years ago. If this trend continues no more big business houses will enter these Islands. In Andaman and Nicobar Islands we don’t have big industries and if Land Conversion is not allowed new Business ventures or Tourism Projects will not come up and hence local youths will not get employment,” Anil Tiwari, a local businessman told Andaman Sheekha.
Meanwhile the Administration has said that the land conversion committee now has very little role to play.
“Firstly what happened is that a committee was formed, which was told to take decisions on conversion of Agricultural Land, which has more than 500 sq mtr area, into Commercial land. Then we came to a conclusion that as per the law power of land conversion is with the Assistant Commissioner,” the Commissioner – & – Secretary, Mr. Bhupinder S. Bhalla told Andaman Sheekha.
He added that it looked impossible for the committee to clear such cases of land conversion, one by one.
“Hence, we have made general guidelines and now Assistant Commissioner will process these cases in his own level. This decision was taken nearly one month ago. This is always better if a ground level person handle such cases as he has more information about ground level things than anybody else,” Mr. Bhalla added.
Hopefully this recent decision will come as a great relief for local business community but it will be a thing to watch, how the local business community react to this decision.
