Port Blair, Feb 27: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, President, PCC recently met Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Vice President, All India Congress Committee at New Delhi and appraised him of the burning issues of the Islands. Many issues were raised by him for intervention of the Vice president, AICC among which the issue of Compensation for the Submerge Land found the most important place.
Mr. Kuldeep informed Mr. Rahul that during the devastating tsunami of December 2004 many fields, house plots and commercial plots of the Islanders were submerged. For the submerged Land the administration is providing compensation to the victims at the rate of 9.39 Lakh per hectare. He also informed that according to the recent statistics Port Blair Tehsil has total submerged agriculture land of accounting to 266.29 hectares while the Ferrargunj and Campbell Tehsils it is 583.40 hectares and 320.96 hectares respectively. Total submerged house sites/shop sites in Port Blair Tehsil is 54.74 hectares while in Ferrargunj and Campbell Bay Tehsils are 11.80 hectares and 07.43 hectares respectively.
Further Mr. Sharma informed that many of the farmers have accepted the compensation at the rate of Rs 9.39 Lakh / Hectare but due to their adverse economical conditions after the devastating disaster of December, 2004. He also informed that some of the farmers have not accepted the compensation and are demanding for a hike in the compensation. Further Mr. Sharma requested Mr. Rahul to intervene into the matter and get the farmer compensation at the rate of Rs.18 Lakh/ Hectare and also allow the victims to retain their submerged land as no other land will be provided to them.
Discussing the matter of ANI Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Ltd Mr. Sharma informed Mr. Rahul that the condition of the employees of the organization is pathetic as employees are not even given the benefit of 6th pay commission and are somehow maintaining their families. The Employees feel distressed because they are not being paid their salary for months due to non availability of loan assistance in time. Mr. Sharma requested Mr. Rahul to intervene into the matter to hand over the management to the A&N Administration, which was already accepted by the Administration in principal and pending with the respective Ministries.
Mr. Sharma has further sought intervention of Mr. Rahul on the matter of providing 4% reservations to the Ranchi Community residing in these Islands for which A&N Administration has already sent the details to the ministry. Mr. Sharma has also sought intervention of Mr. Rahul for providing subsidized air fares to the Govt. Employees of the Islands as it is done in North Eastern States.
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