Villagers stage protest demonstration against proposed acquisition of land for Airport-II

TMI Correspondent

Port Blair, Nov 13: Hundreds of villagers from Burma Nallah and other villages staged a protest demonstration today against the proposed move by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration for acquisition of land from Pema Junction to Burma Nallah, purportedly for construction of Airport-II and other development purpose.

According to Smt. Bhanumathi, President, Barmanallah Village Welfare Committee, from these particular villages most of the milk is supplied to the entire Port Blair city and if they lose the land it will be difficult for them to establish again, and there are many people in these villages who are doing agriculture and their only source of income is depends on ancestral piece of land. "The people of Burma Nallah and its adjoining villages have toiled hard for several years to finally settle down in the area. Now how does the administration expect us to be driven out of this place and start a life afresh," she exclaimed. "There is no way that we can be cowed down and we will not accept any alternative even at the cost of our life," Bhanumathi declared.

According to reports, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, South Andaman came to the spot with the map and assured to provide adequate compensation to villagers against acquisition of land, which instead fumed the protest. Later in the evening, DySP Ajay Rai came to the protest demonstration spot, and after fixing an appointment of the villagers to meet the Secretary of the Lt Governor for 14/11/2019, the protest was called off.