Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Jan 24: Living on the Edge, an active NGO of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is all set to launch a massive signature campaign to press the long pending demand of setting up an Assembly in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
According to the General Secretary of LOTE, the signature campaign will cover complete stretch of these Islands from Diglipur to Campbell Bay. In this regard a detailed letter has already been prepared by LOTE which will soon be sent to the President of India and copies will be sent to Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.
Through this campaign the LOTE will request the Government of India to honour the commitment made to people of A & N Islands by the Parliament for setting up of a Legislative Assembly in the Territory in line with the one existing in Puducherry.
The LOTE will also urge the Government of India to accept the recommendations of the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed by Late Sushma Swaraj, in this regard.
In the year 1979, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Administration) Regulation, 1979 was promulgated and under it, an advisory body “Pradesh Council” was setup in 1981 to make recommendations to the Administrator on policy matters, plan and budget of the Union Territory and Legislative matters.
Sadly, the Institution of Pradesh Council was discontinued from 1995 with the establishment of Panchayati Raj Institutions after the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution, it is learnt.
