Port Blair, Nov 26: As the Sri Lankan Tamil Settlers have now intensified their protest for their resettlement from Tribal Island of Katchal of Nicobar District to South Andaman area, the A & N State BJP unit has written letter to the Prime Minister of India in this regard, demanding immediate intervention.
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi, the State President, Bharatiya Janta Party, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has written a letter to the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi, the Union Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. Amit Shah, The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Mr. Arjun Munda and the Minister of State for Home Affairs Mr. G Kishan Reddy demanding immediate resettlement of Sri Lankan Tamil Settler Families from Katchal Island to other non-tribal area with adequate amount of land as decided in the Island Development Authority (IDA) meeting of 2003 or to de-notify the area of residence of these Sri Lankan Tamil Settlers in Katchal from the ANPAT Regulation.
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi in his letter explained the issue to the PM and other minister being faced by the Sri Lankan Settlers because of being settled in Katchal, a tribal area by the A & N Administration in the 1970’s without de-notifying the area from the ANPAT Regulation 1976.
Mr. Bairagi mentioned in his letter that these settlers are not able to avail any benefits of the Central Govt. Schemes and cannot even open a bank account. He further added that these settlers were settled in Katchal Island in Govt. Quarters which is now 50 years old and the same is without toilet facility.
He also explained that the settlers have been petitioning the Govt. of India and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration for their resettlement to a non-tribal area since the year 1995.
He further explained how, the then Prime Minister of India Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had instructed the A & N administration to resettle them with 1.5 Hectors of land in line with other Sri Lankan settlers who were settled here.
At present a protest is going on at Katchal Island since 18th of November 2020 and later a relay hunger strike also started by the Sri Lankan Tamil Settlers to press for their demands of re-settlement to a non-tribal area.
Mr. Ajoy Bairagi requested the PM to give appropriate directions to the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to either resettle these settlers in a non-tribal area or to de-notify the area of their residence in Katchal Island from ANPAT Regulation.
He further requested that immediate relief should be given to these families by construction of proper toilets and adequate shelters for them until any decision is taken.
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