John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Apr 12: The Trade Bandh called by the Joint action committee formed under the banner of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) got good response in many Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to Andaman Sheekha correspondents most of the shops were closed at Great Nicobar, Middle Andaman region, Diglipur region and Hut Bay areas. In a few Islands Autorickshaws were also off the roads. At Port Blair most of the shops were closed and private buses remained off the road, causing problems to commuters. The impact of the bandh was felt in many parts of the islands right from Diglipur to Campbell Bay with complete shutdown in the port services.
However, essential services like petrol pumps, medicine shops etc were exempted from the purview of the bandh so that the general public is not inconvenienced. Even services related to tourists, viz; tourist cars, ferries, hotels, boats etc were allowed to operate with a view that the visiting tourists are able to travel and enjoy the islands without hindrance.
Meanwhile, the Joint action committee formed under the banner of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) has thanked all members of the trade, industry and commercial organizations including all associations who have expressed their solidarity for the Trade Bandh for its stupendous success.
In a press release, the ACCI & Joint Action Committee said that the ACCI with great reluctance and as a last resort had to take the course of action for the Trade Bandh so that the long standing demands could be heard and resolved by the Administration which was adversely affecting the development of trade, commerce, tourism, hospitality etc in the islands.
“The Hon’ble Lt. Governor had also not given an audience to the delegation of the ACCI to enable the issues to be discussed and resolved. The islands which had been severely affected by the pandemic Covid are still to recover to post-Covid levels whereas the other parts of our country have seen tremendous growth and development,” the press release claimed.
The release added that in view of the reluctance shown we were left with no other option but to show our resentment and organize a Trade Bandh. The overwhelming success of the bandh and the support for the bandh garnered shows the genuineness of the demands raised and the need to address the same in the larger interest of the islands and its inhabitants.
“The ACCI would once again appeal to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor to address the issues escalated and give the trade an opportunity to explain the genuineness and critical nature of the issues. We would also like to take this opportunity to request the Hon’ble Union Home Minister to intervene in the matter. The ACCI have always worked and will continue to do so, closely with the Administration and Government of India to formulate policies and support the initiatives taken which are in the interest of the overall development of the island but as a major stakeholder we also expect that our voice should be heard,” the release issued by ACCI & Joint Action Committee added.
Meanwhile, commenting on the bandh, Mr. Surendra Prahladka, President of ACCI said, Andaman & Nicobar Islands hold immense economic potential and the government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has identified various large projects to propel its development. However, there are critical local issues such as power, port, and policies on conversion, land revenue, circle rates, building bylaws, master plan, and new vehicle permits that have not been addressed by the administration for a long time.
He said that this lack of action is causing a major roadblock in the overall socio-economic development of the islands as envisioned by the Government of India. The bandh has been called to draw attention to these issues and urge the administration to take necessary action.
Mr. Prahaladka emphasized, “The highlighted issues are a major obstacle to the establishment of new infrastructure in the private sector, which is necessary to cater to the growing demands of trade and industry, particularly tourism. As a major stakeholder, the Chamber of Commerce urges the administration to not only listen to our concerns but also give due weightage to the genuine issues that are hindering the economic growth of the islands.”
However, Nicobar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), Youth Chamber of Commerce and Industry (YCCI), Nicobar Youth Association (NYA), Fishermen Welfare Association and LBA did not participate in the Trade Bandh.
