John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 02: In a move to improve the look of the beach and accommodate the increasing tourist footfall in Shaheed Dweep islands, the Andaman Administration conducted an eviction drive on March 01, 2023. Over 165 shops were evicted from Bharatpur beach and Laxmanpur sunset beach.
Last month, the Administration had reportedly intimated all shop owners and representatives of Gram Panchayat Neil islands about the eviction plan and the new plans for construction of a new shopping complex. As per plan the evicted shops will be shifted to the new shopping complex located near the beach area. Each family whose shop was evicted will be provided with a shop room in the new complex.
The eviction drive began in the morning at Bharatpur beach where around 100 shops were evicted. Later in the day, the same drive was carried out at Laxmanpur Sunset point beach where around 65 shops were evicted in the presence of Azharuddin Zainuddin Quasi, SDM south Andaman.
Mr. Kajal Das, Mondal President BJP, informed Andaman Sheekha that in 2017, the Andaman administration had allotted land near the beach of Bharatpur and Laxmanpur beach, but due to some reason, the plan was stopped. Recently, officers of the Administration contacted shopkeepers and Panchayat members and explained the plan, promising to provide all evicted shopkeepers with shops in the new shopping complex, to which all agreed.
Mrs. Pinki Das, Pradhan Gram Panchayat Shaheed Dweep, requested the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to complete the construction of the shopping complex as soon as possible. Since the eviction drive, around 165 families, all shopkeepers, have lost their source of income. The completion of the new shopping complex will hopefully minimize the impact of the eviction on the shopkeepers’ livelihoods.
