Islanders Fray Humphrey Gunj Panchayat’s fund-raising trick

TAXING LOCAL PUBLIC FOR WHAT?

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, June 24: The weird move of Humphrey Gunj Panchayat to impose tax on every vehicle entering Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park has upset local residents of A & N Islands. “Taxing Islanders in their own Islands make no sense. If they want to raise money let them tax visiting tourists and every tourist vehicle,” complained an angry Islander.

At present the Humphrey Gunj Panchayat is charging Rs. 20 from every vehicle entering the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, when questioned sources in the area told that the money is being collected so that that money could be utilized for the maintenance and beautification of the area.

However, Andaman Sheekha team when visited the Marine National Park area, found that the Panchayat is doing nothing to keep the area clean. Garbage and coconut husk and other waste are scattered all over the Wandoor Beach, which shows that since last many month no one has cleaned the area.

When contacted the Chairperson of South Andaman Zilla Parishad Mr. Balakrishanan Nair told Andaman Sheekha that he has already suggested the Panchayat to charge less from local residents. “My suggestion was to collect Rs. 10 from Islanders and Rs. 20 from tourists. This money is important for the Panchayat because the Administration will release matching grant to the Panchayat only if the Panchayat collect some good amount and show it to Administration. The matching grant and the collected amount will be used for maintenance and beautification of the area,” Mr. Nair added.

However, he said that there will be a problem in charging less from Islanders. “How the ticket collecting agent will differentiate between a tourist and local resident. If a vehicle carries both tourists and local public, how much should he charge? There are many such issues,” he added.

Public demands that in any case local residents should not be taxed for visiting any place of these islands, if necessary the entry fees could be doubled for visiting tourists. Even if entry fees are collected the fund should be used properly by Panchayats, which is not happening in case of Humphery Gunj Panchayat. Atleast, indiscriminate dumping of garbage and lack of cleanliness at Wandoor beach, proves so.