Port Blair: The lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bishnu Pada Ray has demanded resettlement of Indian origin Sri Lankan Tamil Repatriates from the Tribal areas of Katchal Island to Saithan Khari Rubber Plantation area of A & N Islands.
“This was already decided in the meeting chaired by the Lt. Governor on July 9,2003 and the matter was reviewed by the Chief Secretary on June 5,2008. But nothing has been down till now,” Ray to UNI today.
The Union government, by a scheme under the Indo-Ceylon pact of 1964, had settled 48 Ceylon repatriates with their families in Katchal Island in 1974.
They were originally employed by the Rubber Board and later by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Development Corporation Ltd, which is on the verge of total closer.
Each of these 48 families was allotted half an acre of land in Katchal Islands and they have been living there since. Over the past 35 years, their population has increased to 173 extended families.
The Sri Lankan Tamil Repatriates are demanding resettlement in other area equal rights as that given to other settlers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands who were brought from erstwhile East Pakistan and other areas.
According to the MP the issue has now become a burning one among the stake holders viz the Sri Lankan Tamil Settlers and the Tribals of Katchal Island of Nicobar district.
Meanwhile, the MP has written a letter to the Lt. Governor and urged him to implement resettlement package for the repatriates as per the decisions already taken by the Administration.
The MP has also demanded package of allotment of 1.5 hectare of land to each of the original repatriate families in Saithan Khari Rubber Plantation and development of the Saithan Khari Plantation in a phased manner on a cost sharing basis among others. (UNI)