Port Blair, Feb 13: During the recent budget session, the Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma on Thursday (10.02.2022) raised some crucial issues of Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the Parliament.

For the holistic growth of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Member of Parliament has put forward these demands before the government:

He mentioned in parliament that the unexplored potential of Andaman & Nicobar Islands can only be tapped when the Central Government focuses on how development can happen in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The demands raised by the Member of Parliament are:

1) The Member of Parliament demanded to increase the budget of Andaman & Nicobar Islands from 5300 crore to 10000 crore.

2) He demanded to regularize the services of all Daily Rated Mazdoors working under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration.

3) The MP demanded clearing the backlog of government vacancies, which is around 10,000 (ten thousand) in numbers particularly in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and according preference to locals in such vacancies by stopping the process of online recruitment for government jobs  in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

4) To provide land to all the landless islanders.

5) To regularize excess land of all left out cases of pre-1961.

6) To start flight service from Port Blair to Madurai and Kochi & Vice Versa.

7) To start PG Courses in the medical college of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

8) To start Air Ambulance facilities for intra-Island movement of patients.

9) Promotion of fisheries in Andaman & Nicobar Islands by providing incentives and investment for developing processing infrastructure.

10) Need to tackle unemployment in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and to provide unemployment allowance.

11) Increasing the salary and honorarium of Anganwadi and ASHA workers in the country, particularly in Andaman & Nicobar  Islands.

12)  Providing subsidies on air travel on the lines of North East to residents of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and also to the tourists visiting the Islands to promote tourism.

13) Establishing a separate commission for women for Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

14)  Establishing a women college. 

15) Need to have a Shipbuilding/Ship Repairing yard in Andaman & Nicobar Islands to generate employment.

16) Need to generate employment through Information Technology Infrastructure and BPO or Call Centers in Andaman & Nicobar Islands along with laying of second OFC cable between Diglipur and Digha.

17) Need to promote tourism through Marine, Adventure, Culinary, Eco, World War II Tourism and Cultural Tourism along with establishment of Freedom Struggle Tourism at various places in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

18) Need to provide adequate compensation and return the land to victims of the 2004 Tsunami in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

19) Need to increase the pension of old age widows and Divyang people from 2500 to 5000 Rupees per month to fulfill their basic needs.

20) Need to establish a Legislative Assembly for Andaman & Nicobar Islands on the lines of Delhi and Puducherry.

21) Need for establishing a Central University in Andaman & Nicobar Islands instead of Deemed University.

22) Need for Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Katchan Tamil settlers.

23) Need to create sports infrastructure relating to Football, Cricket, Cycling, Rowing, Swimming and Athletics along with a sports academy in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

24) Establishing a Fisheries College in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

25) To start flight services from Andaman & Nicobar Islands to South eastern Asian countries to promote tourism. 

Raising these issues, the Member of Parliament requested the government to consider these requests and if possible, constitute a committee which will analyze the potential of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and propose an investment plan to boost the economy.