Port Blair, Dec 17: During her visit to New Delhi recently, the Adhyaksha, South Andaman Zilla Parishad, Smt Minati Biswas, Adhyaksha, met Union Home Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh and highlighted the problems of more than 2000 families of Andaman and Nicobar Islands who suffered losses after the Forest Department destroyed their plantation in the year 2002. In the representation, Smt Biswas said that the affected families still reside in their respective land but they are not provided with the electric connection, water connection etc as provided in the revenue areas. Besides, the approach roads have also not been constructed to their dwelling areas. As such, the residents are facing countless hardships. Only five families of Meymyo and Hasmatabad areas were issued licenses by the Deputy Commissioner, Andaman District in the year 2003, which were distributed by her during her earlier tenure as Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad. In the IDA meeting held under the chairmanship of former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it was decided that 500 Sq. mtrs of land and Rs 75,000/- will be given to each affected families for resettlement. But the proposal has not been implemented till date. The families belong to poor economic background and are facing extreme hardships in sustaining their livelihood, she said urging the intervention of the Lt. Governor for early redressal of the concerns of the affected families.
In another representation to the Minister of IT and Communication, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Adhyaksha demanded regularization of services of contract employees of BSNL of A&N Telecom Circle, who have served the agency for a considerable time of more than 16-20 years. “Most of them have crossed their age-limits for regular services in other departments and are forced to sustain livelihood for a meager Rs 7000 per month. Though they are employed on contract basis, the employees are entrusted duties of regular nature such as Computer Assistant, Clerk, Lineman, Peon, Safaiwala and other technical works. Several posts are lying vacant in the BSNL A & N Telecom Circle for the last several year, the BSNL has failed to initiate any steps for filling up the vacancies on regular basis,” said Smt Biswas in her letter.
