Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, May 23: The 10 member delegation of tsunami affected farmers of South Andaman and the lone Member of Parliament Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray today got a heroic welcome a Port Blair Airport.
The delegation returned Port Blair after meeting the Prime Minister of India and many other cabinet Ministers at New Delhi and highlighted their demand of getting compensation for their tsunami inundated land, without surrendering their land to the government.
Nearly hundred farmers from South Andaman region today gathered at Port Blair airport and welcomed the delegation and the Member of Parliament, many shouted slogans in support of the farmers’ delegation and the MP.
“We got good response from the Prime Minister and all other cabinet Ministers we met at New Delhi. The Prime Minister has assured us that he will forward our letter to the Home Minister and also discuss this matter with Home Minister. Even Finance Minister and Agriculture Minister expressed their support for farmers and asked why government would take land from farmers,” Bishnu Pada Ray the Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ at the Airport.
However Ray added that the UPA Chairman, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Home Minister of India did not meet the farmers.
“Sonia Gandhi has replied to my request letter to meet her with farmers but she did not meet the farmers. Even the Home Minister refused to meet farmers but he met me alone and heard the problems of farmers,” the MP added.
The Farmers’ delegation, under the banner of Gram Vikas Samity looked confident and hoped that the visit would yield some positive result.
“The best part is that the issue of tsunami affected farmer has reached to the Parliament. This is not an issue of a particular political party. Every MP we met had informed us that Andaman MP is continuously taking up this matter in Parliament,” Rajesh Kumar Lall, the General Secretary of Gram Vikas Samity told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.
