Demand for Statehood for isles reiterated
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, July 11, 2006
Staff Reporter
Port Blair, July 10
    The demand for according statehood and setting up of Legislative for A&N
Islands has been jointly made by a group of eight political parties in a
memorandum it submitted to the Lt. Governor here today. These parties went
on to justify that unless and until statehood with a Legislative Assembly,
with special status as has been done in the North Eastern States, is
provided, problems and aspirations of the islanders cannot be resolved in a
democratic and meaningful manner.
    The eight political parties namely AIADMK, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML),
DMK, JMM & RJD have come together to also press their demands pertaining to
inclusion of left out categories in the OBC and identification of SC/ST in
these islands, stalling the influx of population from mainland alleged and
recruitment of candidates from mainland in the govt. jobs here.
Briefing press persons at Hotel ACC, Mohanpura here this evening, Shri
K.G.Das, Secretary, CPI (M) and  A&N State Organizing Committee said these
political parties have decided to form a third front in the name of Andaman
& Nicobar Left & Democratic Front, the formal launching of which will take
place soon.

Financial assistance by banks to tsunami hit people touches almost Rs.30
crore mark
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, July 7, 2006
Staff Reporter
Port Blair, July 06
     Banks functioning in these islands have come out in a big way to assist
the tsunami affected people as well as in the reconstruction of these
islands. This is evident from the fact that banking institutions here
provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 29.93 crore to the tsunami
affected people as on March 31, 2006. This has accorded direct benefit to
about 2208 tsunami victims.
     According to a Lead District bank report, of the total sanctioned amount
of Rs 29.93 crore by different banks, Rs 2.90 crore was provided under the
construction sector while Rs 14.57 crore was given under Retail & SHG
groups. Similarly, the housing sector, Rs 9.89 crore were provided while
under Agriculture sector Rs 2.57 crore was provided as loans to the tsunami
affected people of these islands. In addition, loans of 716 tsunami victims
to the tune of Rs 10. 8 crore were also rephased by the banks here.
     Similarly, under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation package (RGRP) for
tsunami affected fishermen, banks in these islands have sanctioned loans to
the tune of Rs 3.59 crore benefiting about 511 fishermen of these islands.
     In the A&N islands, altogether 62 branches of different banks,  55 of
them in Andamans and seven in Nicobar District are catering to the financial
requirements of the people of these islands.

Dear Friends,
Below is an annoucement of a new weekly with news from the islands. For more
details and information please contact the editor at editor@...
pankaj



From: LRC - CEFI
To: pankaj@...
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 6:24 PM
Subject: [INFOline Weekly] Issue 1, July 2006 - Information Gateway on Andaman &
Nicobar Islands


LRC launches 'INFOline Weekly' Information Gateway to Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Welcome to the first issue of INFOline Weekly News Bulletin on Andaman & Nicobar
Islands brought to you by Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC), Port Blair. LRC is
an initiative of Community Enterprise Forum International (CEFI), New Delhi,
India. INFOline aims at informing you on developments in the islands and
activities having impact on the islands. We invite you to contribute your
articles and information updates on your work and activities in the islands for
reaching more then 3000 people and organisations associated with the development
in the islands. For more information, please write to us at : editor@... --
Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC) Community Enterprise Forum International (CEFI)
23/25, First Floor, Tagore Road Middle Point Port Blair - 744 101 Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, India Tel: +91 3192 236888, 309597 Fax: +91 3192 243783 Web:
www.cefi.org.in



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://tribal.nic.in/index1.html
No. F. 20025/ 3/ 2003-R&P (Part. IV)
Government of India
Ministry of Tribal Affairs


New Delhi, the 5th July, 2006


Subject : Inviting views/ comments/ suggestions on the draft "The National
Tribal Policy (A Policy for the Scheduled Tribes of India)"
           The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has formulated a revised draft The
National Tribal Policy (A Policy for the Scheduled Tribes of India) to
address various issues concerning the Scheduled Tribes.
2.       Views, comments and suggestions are invited from members of the
public, social activists, academicians, anthropologists, experts working for
the welfare of tribal people and other stakeholders on the proposed draft
policy before action is taken to finalize it.
3.       The views, comments, suggestions on the proposed draft "The
National Tribal Policy" may be conveyed to the following address, either
through e-mail or by post by 10th August, 2006 :

Rajeev Kumar
Joint Secretary
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Room No.722, 'A' Wing,
Shastri Bhawan,
New Delhi - 110 001
E-mail address : rajeevkumar@...
  For the Policy document:
http://tribal.nic.in/finalContent.pdf






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear members,


We are keen to learn the ways adopted to support, rehabilitate and sustain
the processes of livelihoods of the communities in the great Nicobar Islands
in the Villages of Joginder Nagar; Vijay Nagar and Gandhinagar..... I would
be grateful if somebody could let us know what livelihoods actions have been
taken in these areas/ villages after the Tsunami/ Also what possibilities
can be considered within the systems of sustainable development.



Sorry for so many questions. Also could it be possible to learn (Punkaj) if
any civil society institutions are already working in the area.Thanks



With Warm Regards,

Prabhjot Sodhi,
National Coordinator
UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program
Centre for Environment Education,
D-35, 1st Floor, South Extension II,
New Delhi 110049, India
Phone: 09811811996 (M)

----- Original Message -----
From: "zubair ahmed" <zubairpbl@...>
To: <andamanicobar@...>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 3:25 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Waiting for the Administrator:::Editorial:::The
Light of Andamans::Issue 29 - 8 July 2006


> *The Light of Andamans::Issue 29 - 8 July 2006.*
> **
> *Editorial:*
> **
> *Waiting for the Administrator*
>
> Never before in the history of this territory, has the appointment of
> administrator kicked up so much of curiosity, apprehensions and
> premonitions
> as this time. The name of Vakkom Purushothaman has set a cat among the
> pigeons, so to say.
> Vakkom, has had a stint of three years as the administrator from 1993 to
> 1996. He had a knack of extracting work from the laziest of government
> officers. He could take spot decisions and had the capability to ensure
> that
> the decision was speedily. During his period record developmental works
> were
> undertaken in all sectors; tourism in particular.
> Public memory is short.
> Long before Vakkom had appeared on the scene, there were heads of this
> territory who had a similar trait. They too could make mountains move in
> minutes inspite of bureaucratic red tape. The interesting part is: they
> themselves were bureaucrats.
> TGN Ayyar (1956-58) was the last ICS officer to hold the post of Chief
> Commissioner. The islands were still in deep slumber. Developments were
> very
> little. Yet he bulldozed the rural water supply scheme against all odds.
> Villages like Wimberlyganj and Nayapuram got the first piped water supply
> during his regime.
> Mahabir Singh (1966-68) had the same temperament. He was again only a
> Chief
> Commissioner. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya is the result of his
> 'obstinacy'. He obtained affiliation from Punjab University and started
> classes in Janglighat School. He himself used to take classes in the
> initial
> stages.
> Dr. Rajinder Prasad Hospital at Mayabunder is yet another example of his
> obstinacy. He had gone there to select the site for the hospital. Team of
> officers was accompanying him as usual. The moment the site was finalized,
> he had turned to Principal Engineer (then head of APWD) and directed him
> to
> get the work started from the following day and send him the estimate etc.
> for sanction. His contributions to health and education are immense.
> The common feature among all of them was a burning desire to see results,
> come what may. They could take spot decisions; they could ensure that
> those
> decisions were implemented, and implemented in the timeframe fixed by
> them.
> Pandit Nehru had said: "I am not interested in excuses; I am interested in
> work done". They just followed Nehru's dictum. Treading such a path leaves
> many ruffled feathers. But that can't be helped.
> But generally administrators get bogged down into the bureaucratic red
> tape.
> Plan, budget, sanction, approval and clearance from the ministry - these
> are
> the buzz words for stalling works. There is often a lack of command and
> control at the bureaucratic level. Individual egos of senior bureaucrats
> outweigh the public interest. We have seen the orders of the
> administrators
> and seniors being ignored by senior subordinates to the detriment of
> people's interest. That leads to a chaos.
> Who is finally appointed administrator is in the realm of academic
> discussion. The ball is in the court of the central government; Congress
> high command to be exact.
> Political interests apart, it is expected that the Congress high command
> would install one who can command respect of the bureaucracy and the
> people
> alike. After tsunami, very little has gone right. There are lots of vexing
> questions that demand urgency, understanding, sagacity and magnanimity in
> the future administrator.
> The Islands need an administrator who can provide an unambiguous
> direction,
> fix targets and go hammer and tongue to achieve it in a given timeframe.
> Let's see who gets the nod.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Zubair Ahmed
> Tel: +91-3192-246191
> Mb: +919932081771
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Convocation ceremony by TISS at TGCE
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, July 10, 2006
Port Blair, July 09
    The successful students of the 6 months programme on sustainable
development would be awarded certificates at convocation to be held at
Tagore Govt. College of Education at 11 M on 10th July, 2006. Shri Shumsher
K Sheriff, Chief Secretary, A&N Administration will be the chief guest,
while Prof. S Parasuraman, Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai will also grace the function. The programme is a joint effort of the
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the
Action Aid International India.
    The programme aimed at equipping the tsunami affected people of the
islands with skills for community leadership, self management and group
management, which can come as an important aid in the post tsunami
development of the islanders.

*The Light of Andamans:::Issue 29, 8 July 2006.*
**
*No alternate land for affected farmers*
**
*An Interview with Mr. Janak Digal, Development Commissioner*

Relief & Rehabilitation works for tsunami victims are going on in full swing
all over the territory except for the farmers of South Andaman. All that
they get are sops in the form of agricultural tools and implements, power
tillers and water pumps that they never demanded. They are also likely to
get about 200 ponds from the agriculture department for irrigating their
crop of vegetable.
There is a glaring lack of direction and sense of urgency in the
administration at the one hand and a lackadaisical attitude in the political
circle, of both the ruling and the opposition parties.
Mr. Manoranjan Bhakta, Member of Parliament, in a conversation with the
editor, had clearly indicated that he had demanded alternate land for the
farmers of South Andaman since the submerged fields are beyond recovery. But
the priorities of the administration appear to be entirely different.

To find out the factual position we had an interview with Mr. Janak Digal,
Development Commissioner-cum-Development Secretary who commands and monitors
the agricultural rehabilitation.

*1300 hectares of prime agricultural land in South Andaman is submerged.
What does the administration decided to do about it?
*There was a proposal to allot alternate land to the farmers who lost their
land to tsunami. But there is not enough land for that.
**
*There was a proposal for aquaculture. Is that the alternate?
*Aquaculture is not feasible in all the submerged fields. Only about 630
hectares spread over many villages and Panchayats are fit for aquaculture.
It is reported to be highly profitable. It would give ten times more earning
than paddy.
**
*So, the administration has decided on prawn culture?*
It has to be decided whether it should prawn or fish or mixed. There is
apprehension of disease spreading in prawns once farming starts. A committee
has been constituted under the Deputy Commissioner to decide on the crop.
The Director of Fisheries, CARI and Central Institute of Brackish Water
Aquaculture etc. are the members of the committee.
**
*How long will it take?
*It'll take about a year-and- a-half. Not only the type of fish but also the
modalities have to be decided whether it should be a cooperative, if so
whether it should be one large cooperative society or one under each
Panchayat.
*What about the remaining 670 hectares?*
Sluice gates and dykes are being considered. WABCOS, a Government of India
concern has the expertise. APWD keeps on consulting them.  They have been
engaged to make a feasibility study. Some of the land might be recovered.
*What about those who would be left out? Alternate land?
*There is no revenue land even for pre and post-1978 encroachers. Where to
find land for these farmers?
*Maybe, not paddy land; they could be allotted hilly land for plantation.*
There is no revenue land that can be allotted to these farmers.

*Distribution of power tiller and 5 hp water pumps has created much heart
burning amongst the farming community. Prior to tsunami, the number of power
tillers was in single digit in the entire territory.
Power tillers are not suitable for the type of soil obtainable in these
islands. It gets stalled in paddy fields. It just can't take the load. In
dry soil its blades are twisted. Clayey soil has the nature to harden as it
dries out.
It has already resulted in numerous accidents; some fatal.
With power tiller 5 hp pumps were also distributed. There are no rivers, no
perennial sources of water to irrigate the fields with. And the irony is:
post tsunami, there is no field left to irrigate either.
*
However this is what Mr. Janak Digal has to say:
**
*The administration has distributed power tillers and pumps in hundreds all
over. Whose proposal was it?
*It was proposed by the directorate and the Ministry approved it.

** *But people say it is not suitable for these islands. It gets bogged down
in paddy fields.*
It is not meant for paddy cultivation. It is meant for small vegetable
fields. Further it can carry vegetables to the market and do so many other
small things for the farmers.
*The water pumps?*
We are now sanctioning ponds to farmers. They would be able to irrigate
their vegetable farms with these pumps. Moreover, it is a multi-utility
item. It can be used for thrashing, power generation and powering fishing
boats.
*Did the tsunami affected farmers or anyone else demand it?
*Yes! They are still demanding for more. In fact, the Ministry had approved
3500 power tillers; we only restricted it to 1000 pieces. They are getting
it cheap. It comes for Rs 1,10,000/=. We got it for Rs 98,000/= each.
*There have been accidents. Even fatal ones! The farmers should have been
trained to operate it.*
Every beneficiary has been trained to operate the power tillers by the
agricultural departmental staff or the company people. If untrained people
try to take a joyride you can't blame the department.


--
Zubair Ahmed
Tel: +91-3192-246191
Mb: +919932081771


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans::Issue 29 - 8 July 2006.*
**
*Editorial:*
**
*Waiting for the Administrator*

Never before in the history of this territory, has the appointment of
administrator kicked up so much of curiosity, apprehensions and premonitions
as this time. The name of Vakkom Purushothaman has set a cat among the
pigeons, so to say.
Vakkom, has had a stint of three years as the administrator from 1993 to
1996. He had a knack of extracting work from the laziest of government
officers. He could take spot decisions and had the capability to ensure that
the decision was speedily. During his period record developmental works were
undertaken in all sectors; tourism in particular.
Public memory is short.
Long before Vakkom had appeared on the scene, there were heads of this
territory who had a similar trait. They too could make mountains move in
minutes inspite of bureaucratic red tape. The interesting part is: they
themselves were bureaucrats.
TGN Ayyar (1956-58) was the last ICS officer to hold the post of Chief
Commissioner. The islands were still in deep slumber. Developments were very
little. Yet he bulldozed the rural water supply scheme against all odds.
Villages like Wimberlyganj and Nayapuram got the first piped water supply
during his regime.
Mahabir Singh (1966-68) had the same temperament. He was again only a Chief
Commissioner. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya is the result of his
'obstinacy'. He obtained affiliation from Punjab University and started
classes in Janglighat School. He himself used to take classes in the initial
stages.
Dr. Rajinder Prasad Hospital at Mayabunder is yet another example of his
obstinacy. He had gone there to select the site for the hospital. Team of
officers was accompanying him as usual. The moment the site was finalized,
he had turned to Principal Engineer (then head of APWD) and directed him to
get the work started from the following day and send him the estimate etc.
for sanction. His contributions to health and education are immense.
The common feature among all of them was a burning desire to see results,
come what may. They could take spot decisions; they could ensure that those
decisions were implemented, and implemented in the timeframe fixed by them.
Pandit Nehru had said: "I am not interested in excuses; I am interested in
work done". They just followed Nehru's dictum. Treading such a path leaves
many ruffled feathers. But that can't be helped.
But generally administrators get bogged down into the bureaucratic red tape.
Plan, budget, sanction, approval and clearance from the ministry - these are
the buzz words for stalling works. There is often a lack of command and
control at the bureaucratic level. Individual egos of senior bureaucrats
outweigh the public interest. We have seen the orders of the administrators
and seniors being ignored by senior subordinates to the detriment of
people's interest. That leads to a chaos.
Who is finally appointed administrator is in the realm of academic
discussion. The ball is in the court of the central government; Congress
high command to be exact.
Political interests apart, it is expected that the Congress high command
would install one who can command respect of the bureaucracy and the people
alike. After tsunami, very little has gone right. There are lots of vexing
questions that demand urgency, understanding, sagacity and magnanimity in
the future administrator.
The Islands need an administrator who can provide an unambiguous direction,
fix targets and go hammer and tongue to achieve it in a given timeframe.
Let's see who gets the nod.





--
Zubair Ahmed
Tel: +91-3192-246191
Mb: +919932081771


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Group Members

The two Articles from Mr. Zubair Ahmad highlighing the concern over  the 
rehabilitation programmes perhaps indicate the viewpoint of majority of
population (minus bureaucracy) at Andamans. The existing set up does transfer
the decision making powers to a distant palce and in hands of persons not so
much concerned for the place. The Civil servants guiding the destiny of the
islands are rarely of senior ranks and are not in a position to assert over the
counterparts in New Delhi. The LG and MP of the area are the two key figures who
can access the decision makers in Delhi.

Instead of a legislative assembly coordination in these two authorities and
selection of persons with capability to deliver may be a better option.
Legislative Assembly if given to Andamans may only be an old wine in new bottle
where city level politicians would be upgrade to state functionaries.

Also  it is perhaps not fair to suggest a conspiracy behind every decision of
Govt. Of India.Several procurements after Tsunami were necessitated at mainland
and GoI was in a better position to coordinate with the involved agencies and
suppliers.Similarily several expert agencies of national level were inducted in
the rehabilitation process in good faith trusting on their inherent potential
and exposure to similar situations.

Crab




---------------------------------
  Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new Click here
Catch all the FIFA World Cup 2006 action on Yahoo! India Click here

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans-Issue 29, 8 July 2006.*
**
*Features:*
**
*Thirty years of contact in Brazil and the Andaman Islands*

By *Stephen Corry*
Rapid advances in the field of genetics suggest that scientists will soon
know much more about early peoples and where we all come from. The specific
paths leading from the African ancestors we all share to today's peoples and
even individuals are being traced. It seems likely that the four tribes of
the Andaman Islands - the Jarawa, the Sentinelese, the Onge and the Great
Andamanese - settled in the islands within a few thousands years of the
first successful migrations out of Africa, and have stayed there ever since.
They are, in a way, some of the closest people to the ancestors of all of
us, and occupy a unique place on the human genetic map.

The last century and a half have not been kind to the Great Andamanese or
the Onge. Contact, with British and then Indian settlers, has left them with
a fraction of their former populations. The Great Andamanese, numbering
5,000 when the British arrived in the mid-nineteenth century, are now only
43 and are reduced to a state of dependence. The safety of the Sentinelese
lies in their total isolation from the outside world - and consequently,
their genetic make-up must remain a secret. More than that of the three
neighbouring tribes, the fate of the Jarawa hangs in the balance. Their
situation is unique in India, but there is another place where we can find
clues to the future of the Jarawa: the Brazilian Amazon.

Thirty years ago, two different Brazilian tribes had their first friendly
encounters with outsiders. They each fared very differently and now, a
generation later, one has barely survived whilst the other is flourishing,
living on their own lands and enjoying their preferred way of life. What
went so wrong for the first tribe, the Panará, and so right for the second,
the Enawene Nawe? There are no mysteries here, it is all easily explained,
but there are still invaluable - indeed life-saving - lessons for many
countries, especially for India.

For India is now in a similar situation. Thirty years ago, the Jarawa of the
Andaman Islands made their first friendly contact with a government contact
mission. Now, a generation has passed but no one yet knows if the Jarawa
will end up almost destroyed, like the Brazilian Panará, or thriving, like
the Enawene Nawe. But two things are certain: their fate will depend wholly
on the government; and it will be entirely predictable - dependent only on
whether politicians are prepared to learn the lessons of history, or whether
they will simply repeat the destructive mistakes of the past.

The Panará were contacted when a road was bulldozed through their land. The
road workers infected the tribe with flu and other diseases and many of the
Panará died. Their population plummeted from around 300 to 79 within two
years of contact. They were then removed from their land and relocated
several hundred miles away, where they were never happy. In 1991 the
survivors expressed a desire to return to their own land, and a legal case
was brought on their behalf. The Federal Court ruled that the contact had
not been made in the tribe's best interest but in the interest of outside
development; that the government had not protected the Panará properly after
contact as more than half had died; and that it was not in their interest
that they were taken away from their land. The court ordered that the
government pay damages of US$500,000 (approx. 2 crore 30 lakh rupees) to the
Panará as 'moral damages' for the suffering and humiliation they had
undergone and as compensation for the deaths of so many of their number.

By contrast, the people involved in the Enawene Nawe's contact always
respected their rights to their land and to make their own decisions about
their way of life. In the 30 years since contact was made, the tribe has not
suffered depopulation or any major epidemics as their lands have not been
seriously encroached upon. They have almost total independence, working with
local supporters to acquire knowledge such as literacy in their own
language, and ways of treating introduced diseases. They are also learning
how to defend their rights as some parts of their land are now being
threatened. These developments have been on their own terms and at their own
request, rather than being imposed upon them. They require little or no
funds or attention from the government other than to ensure their territory
is protected from encroachers, poachers and large scale development
projects. It is a story that the Brazilian people can be proud of.

The question now is what will happen to the Jarawa. In the 30 years since
their first friendly contact with a government mission the Jarawa have fared
pretty well. As far as is known, they haven't suffered major depopulation or
epidemics and they still have much of their land.  Despite making some
friendly contact with government missions in 1974 the Jarawa made it very
clear that they wanted to maintain their way of life and that their land
should be protected - they continued to live a self-sufficient life in their
forest, despite the obvious proximity of the outside world, and they
defended their land from threats. However, since they started to make trips
out of the forest and stopped resisting contact with settlers in 1997 they
have been at great risk of succumbing to the sort of threats that almost
destroyed the Panará. The Jarawa have been given alcohol and cigarettes,
which could make them dependent on the outside world, and prejudice their
health, and their land and the animals they hunt are now under serious
threat from poachers and settlers.

Whether the story of Jarawa contact will be one of which the Andamans, and
India as a whole, can be proud of depends on what happens next. If, like the
Enawene Nawe, their land is protected and they are allowed to choose, at
their own pace, what aspects of the outside world they wish to adopt, then
there is every chance that they will thrive. If their lands are taken from
them, their food sources plundered by poachers and an alien way of life
imposed upon them then, a similar fate to the Panará awaits them.
As Mahatma Gandhi made clear, a civilised country must be judged not on how
it treats the majority, but on its ability to respect its minorities and
offer them whatever protection they need and want. India's policy makers
must court both historical destiny and world opinion. They must afford the
country's smallest minorities the respect they merit as the most vulnerable
of all the myriad groups of human beings who have their home in the vast
subcontinent.
The writer is the Director, Survival International. (
www.survival-international.org)


--
Zubair Ahmed
Tel: +91-3192-246191
Mb: +919932081771


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Crab,
The suggestion was not to discuss the Right to Information on this particular
egroup or to start any kind of a campaign.
If you see the posting it talked about a series of workshops being organised in
different parts of the country on the issues around the RTI. My suggestion was
for something on lines of that. If some civil society group or a set of groups
could organise something on similar lines for the islands in Port Blair, it
might serve a good purpose.
pankaj

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: andmancrab
   To: andamanicobar@...
   Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 9:52 PM
   Subject: [andamanicobar] Right to Information Act


   The suggestion for starting a campaign under Right to Information Act
   in Andaman and Nicobar area is surely commendable. But that would have
   to be dealt by a seperate virtual group dedicated to that objective
   only.It would be a different field oriented activity requiring a
   different category of participants namely organisations with field set
   up. This group may please be left to function with it's primary
   objectives and in the present platform structure.
   Crab.







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans:::Issue 29:::08 July 2006*
**
*Fifteen crores blown yet no relief to farmers*
*Big Racket in Agricultural Rehab*

By *Staff Reporter*

Port Blair: "In good old days, annoyed with one of his subjects, kings and
emperors would present him with an elephant that the poor guy could neither
refuse to take nor feed and maintain. A power tiller is just that; elephant
- a white elephant at that" said Mr. Biswas, a PRI member of South Andaman
whose Panchayat got 24 of it along with an equal number of pumps. . "We take
it because there is no hope of anything worthwhile from this administration"
he continued.
The administration is busy distributing brand new, shining power tillers and
water pumps to the farming community who lost their lands to tsunami. There
is no dearth of cynics too. "At last, bulk of these power tillers and water
pumps would end up in Chennai and Kolkata packed in gunny bags and marked
'scrap'. That is the fate of these costly toys" comments one of such cynics.
People have already started looking for buyers for their pumps. They are yet
to get over the infatuation with the power tillers though.
The administration, the government of India and the political leadership,
all of them have all the sympathies for those who lost their lives and those
who lost their homes & hearth in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. But they
don't have any tears left for those who survived the tsunami but lost their
land to the cruel waves for good and, with that, their livelihood.
Vast tract of land, 10, 610 hectares to be exact, has been lost to tsunami
permanently. Some have simply disappeared from the face of the earth. In
Nicobar Islands, all the land belongs to the tribal people. They would move
up and create new plantations. But the farming community in South Andaman
that lost 1300 hectares is not that lucky. They cannot take recourse to such
moves since these are revenue lands.
The administration is absolutely clueless about the rehabilitation of these
people. In fact, they don't even appear in the radar screen of the
administration, particularly the mandarins in agriculture sector.
The agricultural rehabilitation efforts are mired in controversy from the
word go. The first action was to purchase 10,000 tonnes of neem cake,
against expert advice, that lies stacked up in Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Katchal
and Teressa Islands. The tribes never demanded it and the agricultural
experts did not recommend it. Yet it was bought blowing over three crores of
rupees. It has started creating health hazard for the members of the tribes
there. 2000 tonnes more are on the way, according to reports.
Next was supply of agricultural tools and implements like spades, crow bars,
pickaxes etc. to the farmers whose lands were under water. Even otherwise,
they were managing their farms with their own tools so far. And these tools
are kept at the farmers' homes, not in the fields. This was also done
against policy of the administration at the time.
Power tiller and the water pumps followed. 1000 power tillers were bought @
Rs 98,000/- each costing almost 10 crores. 1000 water pumps cost another
crore. 200 Ponds are to come up to justify the pumps.
Rs 15 crores have already been blown and lot more are to follow whether
those fancy items benefit the farmers or not.


--
Zubair Ahmed
Tel: +91-3192-246191
Mb: +919932081771


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The suggestion for starting a campaign under Right to Information Act
in Andaman and Nicobar area is surely commendable. But that would have
to be dealt by a seperate virtual group dedicated to that objective
only.It would be a different field oriented activity requiring a
different category of participants namely organisations with field set
up. This group may please be left to function with it's primary
objectives and in the present platform structure.
Crab.

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

4 July 2006

INDIA: CONFLICT WITH JARAWA AS POACHERS OVERRUN TRIBE'S LAND

A man from the isolated Jarawa tribe has been beaten up by a poacher
hunting illegally on the tribe's land. The incident comes in the wake
of the Indian authorities' failure to prevent increasing numbers of
outsiders invading Jarawa land, bringing disease and violence and
hunting Jarawa game animals.

The poacher, from the town of Wandoor on South Andaman, has been
arrested for poaching along with five others and released on bail.

'I think the Jarawa are very scared now,' said a local supporter of
the Jarawa today. 'Poachers have made permanent camps inside their
reserve.'

Survival and local groups have repeatedly urged the authorities to
protect the 270 Jarawa and their land. In 2002, the supreme court of
India ordered the closure of a highway that cuts through the Jarawa
reserve.

However, the road remains open. Settlers on the islands are invading
the reserve in increasing numbers, hunting animals, cutting down
trees and bringing disease and violence. Earlier this year, the
Jarawa were struck by measles, which has wiped out many tribal
peoples worldwide.

A recent amendment to legislation means that imprisonment is
mandatory for anyone caught poaching in the Jarawa reserve.

Survival's director Stephen Corry said today, 'Following the measles
outbreak, this incident is yet another warning of the extreme
seriousness of the situation facing the Jarawa. India must heed these
warnings, or a unique people will disappear before our eyes. A new
law on poaching is a step forward but the authorities must actually
enforce it.'

-ENDS-

To read this press release online visit
http://survival-international.org/news.php?id=1728

For further information contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734
or email mr@...

--

We help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and
determine their own futures.

Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK

Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
          www.survival-international.org

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans:::Issue 29, 8 July 2006*
**
*Is Legislative Assembly the Answer?*

By *Govinda Raju*

The tsunami rehabilitation is turning out to be an endless labyrinthine. It
is generally assumed that the people of southern group of island and some
farmers of south Andaman had to bear the brunt of earthquake and tsunami
that shook the islands on December 26, 2004.
In fact there is not a single person in the entire territory of A&N Islands
who was not affected by the tsunami to a greater or lesser extent. Those who
bore the brunt directly either perished or had to sustain sever losses
turning them into paupers. There are business people who were doing
extremely well particularly, in Nicobar group who lost till their last shirt
in tsunami and had to take refuge in tsunami shelters. Such people have to
pick up the threads of life all over again and rebuilt their career.
Trade and business community in Port Blair also had to sustain severe
beating. The entire trade runs on trust and faith. The major suppliers on
the mainland supply materials to the wholesalers in Andamans on credit
extending to crores of rupees. The wholesalers in Port Blair in turn extend
credit facilities to smaller businessmen all over the islands.  The traders
in the outer islands clear their bills to the traders in Port Blair who in
turn send the money to wholesalers in mainland.
It is a perennial cycle but tsunami broke that chain since the traders in
southern group as well as in parts of South Andaman like Bambooflat lost all
their shops including their stocks to the cruel tsunami waves. They were not
in a position to pay their dues to their creditors in Port Blair or on the
mainland.
After tsunami, for months the islands were rocking by incessant tremors for
months together. This behaviour of earthquake did not exactly boost the
confidence of the creditors on the mainland. They were apprehensive that the
tragedy might revisit and shatter what is left, rendering traders of
Andamans further handicapped in paying back and hence drastically curtailed
the credit limit.
Huge amounts of money were sanctioned for post-tsunami rehabilitation and
rebuilding but it did not come into the island economy. Various Ministries
at the centre held all the funds in their iron grip. All the emergency
purchases right from tin sheets, steel tubular structures to internal wiring
materials, portable gensets and bicycles etc. were made directly by the
Ministries and sent for meeting immediate requirement of the relief and
rehabilitation.
After the first phase of relief and rehabilitation was over even then the
grip was not loosened. There were incidents of blatant and shameless display
of greed displayed by various ministries; Ministry of Urban Development
deputed National Building Construction Corporation, a government of India
enterprise to restore water supply to Port Blair Township after six months
of tsunami. As if the people of Port Blair went without water during this
period.
In another such case, the PBMC had projected an estimate of around 10 crores
to restore the damages suffered to the Municipal assets. To the PBMC's
chagrin, the Ministry of Urban Development immediately awarded the work to
NBCC with a hefty advance and its contractor was breathing down the neck of
PBMC officials to get a clearance.
The permanent shelters have been designed in such a way that not a single
paisa is going to come to the local traders and businessman. Every single
item will have to be imported from mainland and that too from a very limited
number of firms that manufacture the items used in it.
The supply of power tillers, pumps and ten thousand tonnes of neem cake is
another episode in which the entire money goes out of the island.
It is not that every single loss or damage has been survey, catalogued and
compensated.  There is a very large number of people who have suffered some
or the other loss but did not queue up in front of revenue office for
ex-gratia or some other relief. They go on rebuilding their lives in bits
and pieces depending upon their individual capacities.
If only a part of this amount had come into the islands it would have
revived the depressed economy and given a boost to the reconstruction and
rebuilding efforts at all levels.
A weak administration, a confused bureaucracy and a disoriented political
leadership have further aggravated the situation. Bureaucracy is helpless.
It cannot protest against the ministries barging into the affairs of the
territory. The political leadership should have taken up cudgel against such
interference into local affairs. But they too seem to have fallen in line.
The interference is not limited to post tsunami reconstruction. The
ministries are directly interfering in other areas too; such as: The Great
Andaman Trunk Road work has been awarded directly to the Border Road
Organization, the tsunami shelter work has been awarded to CPWD; there seems
to be a conspiracy at work to weaken APWD; Department of Shipping Services
is made to subsidise the Shipping Corporation of India. There are many other
areas that we are investigating for detailed information.
India was a colony of the British Empire. These Islands were a part of that
colony. They treated these Islands with more care and understanding and were
more sensitive towards the people of the islands than the ministries of
independent India.
Even after independence, these Islands were never treated so shabbily as in
the past couple of years; particularly after tsunami.
Is a legislative assembly the answer?


--
Zubair Ahmed
Tel: +91-3192-246191
Mb: +919932081771


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tsunami warning buoys get US funds

http://www.manager.co.th/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000085404
By Jutarat Tongpiam3 July 2006 01:30

Two tsunami warning buoys will be installed in the Indian Ocean from next
December under a project to be conducted with the cooperation and partial
support of the US government, Smith Dharmasaroja, of the Natural Disaster
Warning Administration (NDWA) said.

"Installation of the first buoy will begin in December...to foster
confidence among the public and the tourists," Smith said.

The first buoy will be positioned near India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
A second buoy is expected to be installed later next year.

Thailand will be the first country in the region to have the warning buoys
installed.

The US will finance their purchase and installation while Thailand will be
responsible for operations and maintenance tasks, Smith said.

US financial support will save the country about 180 million baht a year.
"NDWA has made a 70 million baht budget request to fund the first two years
of operations and maintenance expenses," Smith said.

Smith said Thailand has already installed 76 tsunami warning towers in six
provinces along the Andaman Sea coast.

Almost 50 more towers are scheduled to be installed in 14 provinces around
the Gulf of Thailand.

The disaster warning system installation project first received serious
government attention after the tsunami disaster on December 26, 2004. The
waves hit 17 countries, including Thailand's six southern coastal provinces.
More than 200,000 people lost their lives in the disaster, including 5,000
people in Thailand.

UNESCO said this week that 26 countries around the Indian Ocean have
established tsunami warning centers, which include rapid communications
networks.

A 24-hour network linking all warning centers will be completed by the end
of July.

NDWA will also set up a system that will link 144 warning towers and more
than 2,000 villages in 57 provinces in the North, Northeast and the Central
Plains.

The project will cost about 100 million baht and is designed to prevent and
minimize the damage caused by the torrential rain, flash floods, landslides
and mudslides that often affect the three regions.

"The warning system will greatly reduce the loss of life and assets," Smith
said.





C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

Dear Friends,
If something on the following lines also be planned for Port Blair it would
be quite useful.
pankaj



July 2, 2006
RIGHT TO INFORMATION A AS TOOL TO EMPOWER CITIZENS
TO COMBAT BRIBERY
A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

     Most of us complain about the all-pervading corruption and the fact that
the average Citizen feels helpless and harassed most times when faced with
Government departments.
They are harassed with delays arising out of inefficiency or
corruption-often a combination of both. Right To Information has been used
effectively in a significant number of cases by ordinary Citizens to combat
this. If we can spread the usage of this simple tool and empower average
Citizens, it would go a long way in reducing bribes and corruption.
    With this simple, but ambitious objective a National Campaign is being
held in over 40 Cities where trained volunteers will help Citizens with
problems of the following nature:
Inordinate delays in getting PF, Passports, Ration Cards, Factory licences,
Income-tax refunds, Salary arrears, pensions and so on from the Government.
Non-attendance to complaints by Citizens on unauthorized constructions, bad
roads, faulty meters and so on.
Non-receipt of rations, subsidies, scholarships and so on.
     Citizens who come to these camps, with some documentary evidence of
having communicated earlier with the Government Department, will be helped
to fill a Right To Information Application to the concerned department. The
questions are so designed that if there is any real harassment, the answers
would expose this. Experience has shown that in a fairly significant number
of cases, the work itself gets done.
          It is organized in each City locally with the help of local
organizations. This is truly a National Campaign of Citizens. Various
Media,-visual and print,- has actively come forward to back this campaign.
Other media are all  coming forward to cover this campaign,-which is truly a
National campaign. The CVC has given a recorded interview lending his active
support to this campaign. This is the first time we have a National
geographical spread- Bhilai, Chhindwara, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Chennai, Lumding, Shahdol, Satna, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam,
Vijaywada, Faizanad, Sangli, Satara, Indore, Guwahati, Patna, Ranchi, Gumla,
Jamshedpur, Deogarh, Dhanbad, Gorakhpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Karauli,
Chittorgarh, Bhim, Abu Road, Bhadesar, Bikaner, Nokha, Udaipur, Kota,
Bhilwara, Akola, Nagpur, Shillong, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chitrakoot. The
issue concerns everyone- reduction of bribery for the common man and a
Citizen empowerment tool to bring Good Governance-Right To Information.

        In Mumbai 15 organisations have come together and the campaign will
be run at the Government Law College, Opposite Churchgate Station,  from 1st
July to 15th July. The timings are from 11.00am to 7.00pm everyday. We are
approaching senior Government Officials, Elected leaders, Business leaders,
and other well known Citizens of Mumbai to lend their vocal support to this.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has also stationed a senior officer to lend
official support and information at the venue.
       We request all Citizens to participate in this Campaign by spreading
the word, coming to the campaign and voicing their support to this. Do talk
to everyone-it is everyone's campaign. The one issue which can bring all
honest Citizens of India who desire good governance- Right To Information.
Industry leaders, business houses and associations could extend their
support by publicizing the event in their Companies, issuing statements
supporting it and also coming to the campaign site, during the period.
Please do come and support this Campaign and spread the word.
Love
shailesh gandhi
022 32903776; 26001003

B2 Gokul Apartment, Near Asha Parekh Hospital,Poddar Road, Santacruz
(W),Mumbai-400054 ,
Tel: 32903776; 9820027305 Email: shailesh2@...

All my mails are in Public domain,
and do share them if you wish.
  www.satyamevajayate.info

MP elaborates on grievances of tsunami hit people, pleads for their quick
redressal
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, July 4, 2006
Port Blair, July 03
   Member of Parliament, Shri Manoranjan Bhakta has impressed upon the
Administration to initiate timely action for redressal of various grievances
of the tsunami affected people. He made this request in a letter addressed
today to the Lt. Governor, a copy of which was released to the press.
   The MP in his communication has elaborated the grievances after the people
represented to him about such grievances during his just concluded visit to
Little Andaman and some places in South Andaman. He underlined the need for
reviewing the functioning of Panchayati Raj system to make it more effective
in these islands. He also requested for the utilization of the proposed
allocation of funds on need based for various development sectors which is a
requisite before finalization of the ninth five year plan.
   Referring to the grievances about construction of permanent shelters, the
MP said the affected families are willing to construct the permanent shelter
in their own land by themselves if building materials and cash to meet for
construction charges are given to them. This will also help the cultivators
to keep a watch and ward for their plantation and to undertake agriculture
and other allied activities more conveniently. At Little Andaman, where
permanent shelters are going to be constructed for tsunami affected people,
they demanded separate dwelling units instead of constructing twin type
accommodation for them leaving setback area of 2 mtrs between the two
dwelling houses. Similarly, fishermen of Little Andaman who are staying at
temporary shelters also requested for construction of permanent shelters at
the same place.
   As for the allotment of alternative land, it was told that the cultivators
whose land are still under saline water and those who have no other means of
livelihood need to be considered for allotment of land or cash compensation.
    According to the MP, at Little Andaman, people also complained that
assessment of losses to tsunami affected people were not conducted properly
resulting into a situation wherein ineligible people were granted
compensations. Therefore, they have demanded to carry out a fresh assessment
of losses urgently.
   Similarly complaints were also received from South Andaman area where even
after initial assessment the coconut and other plants are dying due to
saline water. Therefore, the loss of plants and trees are much more than the
assessment made in the initial stage. Hence, a fresh survey needs to be
conducted to ascertain the actual loss of plantation sustained by the
farmers, Shri Bhakta said.
   The MP said that the tsunami affected people who lost their livelihood are
still living without any livelihood. Therefore, alternate livelihood need to
be provided to them. The affected farmers may be provided job in APWD or any
other project of the Administration for 3 yrs or till their land become
cultivable. However, Administration may ensure to provide employment for
three years to every tsunami affected people. As regards fishermen, they may
be provided free diesel for three years for operating their engine fitted
boats.
   About replacement of livestock, the MP regretted that despite his repeated
request, the livestock were not reassessed so far. Even the proposal sent to
Home Ministry for replacement of livestock is not justified as meager amount
was recommended for compensation.
   The MP said the present system of supply of ration articles and vegetables
by different agencies to shelters is causing difficulties to effect supply
of ration articles timely. Therefore, ration and vegetables may be supplied
through consumer cooperative societies.
   As for compensation for inland fishing, the MP said, there are reports
from inland fishermen that the losses of sweet water fish/inland fishing
were not compensated so far. Therefore, a resurvey be conducted to ascertain
the loss of inland fishing and arrange payment of compensation to the
affected inland fishing farmers. He also stressed that on the arrival and
departure of inter-island boats, passenger hall at Haddo wharf be kept
opened for the convenience of passengers. Similarly, at least two STS buses
also be provided at jetty for the convenience of the passengers and public
during their inter-island and mainland ship sailing days and bus trips be
arranged from Haddo wharf, he added

Tsunami workers shocked by state of New Orleans
Published: Sunday, 25 June, 2006, 10:29 AM Doha Time
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=93836&version=\
1&template_id=43&parent_id=19

NEW ORLEANS: Asian tsunami relief workers touring New Orleans were shocked
yesterday by the devastation and slow pace of recovery nearly 10 months
after Hurricane Katrina struck.
The relief workers were in New Orleans to share information about recovering
from natural disasters.
"It looked a lot like Aceh six months after the tsunami," said Tom Kerr, the
publications director of the Thailand-based Asian Coalition for Housing
Rights.
The tsunami, which hit near the Aceh region of Indonesia in December 2004,
killed nearly 230,000 in the region and left more than 43,000 missing. More
than 1,500 in Louisiana died after Katrina hit on August 29, 2005.
Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans and only about half of the city's
residents have returned. In the Lower Ninth Ward that the relief workers
toured, many houses were smashed or knocked off foundations and few have
been repaired.
Somsook Boonyabancha, director of the Community Organisations Development
Institute in Thailand, said she was shocked at the lack of progress in New
Orleans.
"I'm surprised to see why the reconstruction work is so slow, because this
is supposed to be one of the most rich and efficient countries in the world.
It is starting at such a slow speed, incredibly slow speed," she said. -
Reuters

TRINET - Tsunami Rehab Information Network -
Weekly News July 3, 2006
This week's news round up is organized under various headings as follows.
General
Finance
Tsunami Warning
Livelihoods
Housing and Infrastructure
Women
Children
Other Countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives


GENERAL
Tsunami workers shocked by state of New Orleans: New Orleans: Asian tsunami
relief workers touring New Orleans were shocked yesterday by the devastation
and slow pace of recovery nearly 10 months after Hurricane Katrina struck.
The relief workers were in New Orleans to share information about recovering
from natural disasters. "It looked a lot like Aceh six months after the
tsunami," said Tom Kerr, the publications director of the Thailand-based
Asian Coalition for Housing Rights. Somsook Boonyabancha, director of the
Community Organisations Development Institute in Thailand, said she was
shocked at the lack of progress in New Orleans. "I'm surprised to see why
the reconstruction work is so slow, because this is supposed to be one of
the most rich and efficient countries in the world. It is starting at such a
slow speed, incredibly slow speed," she said.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=93836&version=\
1&template_id=43&parent_id=19


Habitat for Humanity advocates comprehensive shelter framework strategy for
disaster response at UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum: At the recent biennial
UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum, Habitat for Humanity International and the
Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre asserts that community-based disaster
response (CBDR) is by itself insufficient as an effective shelter
intervention. "Inappropriate intervention strategies have delayed the
progress of families trying to move from relief to recovery and long-term
development." said Steve Weir, Asia-Pacific Area Vice-President for Habitat
for Humanity International. "The response in each of the impacted countries
has been a donor free-for-all often characterized by donor competition and
poor coordination leading to steep cost escalations and delayed
reconstruction." An effective comprehensive shelter framework must include
two additional key strategies: On-site Reconstruction and Strategic Donor
Coordination along with Community Based Disaster Response.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/habhum/115147979159.htm

FINANCE
Majority of tsunami aid outstanding: Eighteen months after the Boxing Day
tsunami, less than an eighth of the Australian aid money promised to
Indonesia has actually gone to the region. The National Audit Office has
found that while most of the money has been committed to aid projects, only
$70 million has actually been handed over. The Auditor-General Ian McPhee
has now analysed these arrangements and others to account for the funds. His
report says the disbursement of funds is anticipated to occur later than
initially estimated. Mr McPhee says this reflects uncertainty with some of
the major projects and problems in reaching agreement with Indonesian
Government agencies. Mr McPhee has made seven recommendations to improve
AusAID's management of the tsunami aid money. AusAID says it is satisfied
with the audit and has agreed to act upon all of its recommendations.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1673396.htm


TSUNAMI WARNING
Tsunami warning system expected to deliver better results:UNESCO: Almost 18
months after the killer tsunami hit Indian Ocean countries, the entire
region has a warning system which is "now up and running as scheduled" and
by next month-end it is expected to deliver more better results with the
augmentation of the system. The tsunami warning system installed in Indian
Ocean is capable of receiving and distributing tsunami advisories round the
clock, the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
which is overseeing the scheme, said. By the end of July, UNESCO
Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said, the system will be capable of
improved and faster detection of strong, tsunamogenic earthquakes, increased
precision in the location of the epi- and hypo centres of earthquakes and
confirmation of the presence of a tsunami wave in the ocean after a strong
earthquake. Twenty-six out of a possible 28 national tsunami information
centres, capable of receiving and distributing tsunami dvisories round the
clock, have been set up in Indian Ocean countries. At present, information
bulletins are issued from Japan and Hawaii, pending a final decision on the
location of regional centres in the Indian Ocean. This will be facilitated
when important additional contribution including instruments such as
deep-sea pressure sensors and satellites become available in late 2007 and
2008.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200606290941.htm


Faster Tsunami Warnings Possible: New software coupled with data from the
Global Positioning System (GPS) could quickly determine whether a large
earthquake will generate an ocean-wide tsunami. Currently, accurate tsunami
warnings are not possible until the waves are recorded by buoys. The new
system detects shifts in the seafloor, the quake-induced "paddles" that can
spawn a tsunami. Tsunami potential could be determined in 15 minutes. "We'll
always need seismology as the first level of alert for large earthquakes,
and we'll need ocean buoys to actually sense the tsunami waves," said
Geoffrey Blewitt of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the
University of Nevada, Reno. "The advantage of including GPS in warning
systems is that it quickly tells how much the ocean floor moved, and that
information can directly set tsunami models into motion." Blewitt lead a
team that tested the concept, reporting their results this month in
Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060628_tsunami_warnings.html
top

LIVELIHOODS
Sound waves: A group of film directors, photographers, sound engineers and
producers have joined hands to restore the music destroyed by the tsunami.
While funds are raised for tsunami-affected areas even today, what hasn't
gathered momentum is the magnitude of damage done to the folk artistes in
many of these regions. As we speak with Sonya Mazumdar of Chennai-based
Earth Sync Records, she introduces us to this hard-hitting reality of the
tsunami. "It's obviously not foremost on most people's minds. In a bid to
restore and rebuild villages, we've rarely stopped to think about the art
forms that vanished forever because of the tsunami." A group of nine
like-minded people along with Mazumdar got together to give birth to the
Laya Project. Laya, a Sanskrit word that means "fusion or union of song,
dance and music", was the vision of photographers, film directors, sound
engineers, musicians and producers who teamed together from Canada, the
Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Israel and India. The
project, which started in early 2005, completed its first phase in December,
exactly one year after the tsunami, and included a CD and DVD compilation
that showcased a visual and musical journey through the tsunami-affected
regions. The CD has music sung by fishermen of coastal Tamil Nadu besides
other coastal regions. While the first phase of Laya journeyed through
tsunami-affected countries including Sri Lanka, Thailand and India, the
project now continues its research in the Maldives and Malaysia with the aim
of releasing a more comprehensive double-disc set.
http://www.business-standard.com/lifeleisure/storypage.php?leftnm=5&subLeft=2&ch\
klogin=N&autono=96734&tab=r


Farmers attend grievance meet: Nagapattinam: A grievance hearing meeting for
farmers was held at the Nagai Collectorate. Nagai DRO Baskaran heard the
grievances of farmers. The farmers demanded immediate release of crop loans
from cooperative banks as water had already been released from Mettur. Many
farmers explained about the minor irrigation canals that awaited desilting.
Farmers from tsunami-hit areas demanded strengthening of river bunds in
their areas. Answering their demands, the DRO said that all steps would be
taken to ensure smooth farming activities in the district. He also announced
that the district had enough stock of paddy seeds and fertilizers. Joint
Director of Agriculture Bose and others participated.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20060626003302&Topic=0&Title=Sout\
hern%20News%20-%20Tamil%20Nadu&Page=T


Credit Camps at Intermediate shelters: Port Blair, June 27. Credit Camps at
the Intermediate Shelters at Namunaghar and Bambooflat were held on
26-6-2006 and 27-6-2006 respectively. Officials from the District Industries
Centre, Khadi & Village Industries Board, Directorate of Fisheries, and the
respective Branch Managers of State Bank of India and A & N State
Cooperative Bank Ltd attended the Camps and assisted the Tsunami victims
residing in the Intermediate Shelters for taking up suitable economic
activities to earn their livelihood. Details of the schemes were explained
by the Bank's, DIC, KVIB, Fisheries officials. More than 40 beneficiaries
were identified under various schemes at the camps.
http://www.and.nic.in/wednesday.htm

top
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
781 houses for tsunami-hit persons: Tuticorin, June 26: A total of 781
houses will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 lakh each and they
will be handed over to persons who lost their houses in the tsunami
disaster, district collector Palaniyandi said today. At present, 95 houses
have been completed in Tuticorin, Tiruchendur and Sattankulam blocks and the
rest will be completed by November next. The State government is allotting
the land for the houses and it will be constructed with the help of NGOs, he
added.
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BCDDE0FCF-0727-4CA7-8\
0A0-3E3F19605878%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Tamil+Nadu

69 tsunami temporary shelters gutted: Karaikal: Sixty-nine tsunami temporary
shelters were destroyed in a fire that broke out in MGR Nagar on the bypass
road in Karaikal town on Monday. Fire service personnel put out the fire
after fighting for more than two hours. Official sources told The Hindu that
no casualty was reported and the total loss was estimated at more than Rs.10
lakh. An anganwadi and a small temple were also gutted. The cause of the
fire is being investigated.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/27/stories/2006062710720400.htm


Multi-crore coastal housing projects: Cuddalore: District Collector
Gagandeep Singh Bedi said on Wednesday that he had submitted proposals worth
Rs 150 crore to the State Government to build houses for residents of
coastal areas. He said the housing projects would be taken up in two phases:
at 200 metres, and from 200 metres to one kilometre from the high tide mark.
Those who were willing to move out of the sea front would also get fresh
houses, he said. The Government will provide basic amenities such as roads,
drainage and streetlights at the project sites. The State Government had
allotted Rs.3.35 crore to Cuddalore for taking up road works from the World
Bank funds. Work will begin after getting clearance from the Director of
Town and Country Planning and the Director of Environment. He said that
Cuddalore was ahead of other affected districts in the construction of
permanent houses, with 2,050 of the targeted 2,323 houses already built.
Rehabilitation benefits were being extended to the Dalits and Irulas, whose
livelihood depended upon marine life. Moreover, Rs.41.50 lakh had been given
away as revolving funds to Self-Help Groups set up by the coastal community.
Besides this, they were being trained to start their own businesses. The
Government had sanctioned Rs.14.41 crore for dredging the mouth of the
Cuddalore Port to facilitate movement of fishing vessels from inland areas
into the deep sea. A hook-shaped structure will be constructed at the
confluence of the Vellar and the Bay of Bengal near Parangipettai for the
safety of fishing boats. A protective wall, technically called a Rubble
Mounted Seawall (RMS), has been proposed along the seacoast from Thazhanguda
to Thevanampattinam at a cost of Rs.3 crore. There was also a proposal to
deepen the coastline at Killai, Mr. Bedi added.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/06/29/stories/2006062904470300.htm

top


WOMEN
Help for women self-help groups in tsunami-hit areas: Tiruvallur: A special
financial assistance and training package worth Rs. 9.25 crore will be
extended to women's self-help groups in tsunami affected areas this
financial year, according to the Collector, Ranveer Prasad. Addressing a
press conference here on Friday, Mr. Prasad said the package, funded by the
Asian Development Bank, would consist of a subsidy component of Rs. 30,000,
compared to Rs.10,000, extended as subsidy to the WSHGs under the
Swarnajayanthi Gramin Swarajgar Yojna (SGSY) scheme. Around 500 groups
functioning in 14 panchayat areas (10 in Minjur and 4 in Gummidipoondi
areas) stand to gain from the scheme. Apart from this, they are also
eligible to avail funds under SGSY scheme like any other group functioning
in the district.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/02/stories/2006070216290400.htm


Tamil Nadu's 'tsunami marriages': The tsunami, which killed nearly 10,000
people in Tamil Nadu, orphaned scores of young men and women. Since the
government barred adoptions, relatives of the young women survivors decided
to take them in using 'marriage' as a cover. In the process, however, even
13-year-olds and 14-year-olds have got 'married'. They may have gained a
family in the process, but other forms of trauma are just beginning to
unfold. 'Much too often we now have elderly uncles coming forward to shelter
the teenagers by offering marriage. These marriages are called tsunami
marriage,' explained D. Koteeswara Rao, tsunami project coordinator for the
Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF). The marriages are not legal
because a woman cannot marry under the age of 18. But NGOs say that the
young women invariably claim they are adults. And as they are mostly
'marrying' into relatives, the authorities are turning a blind eye. Social
Need Education and Human Awareness (SNEHA), an NGO, has recorded 112 tsunami
marriages from communities in 20 villages in Nagapattinam, the district
worst affected by the tsunami.
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/article_1175919.php/Tamil_Nadus_tsunami\
_marriages

top
CHILDREN
Overcoming Past Trauma and Learning How to Use Computers: Since the opening
of the Children's Computer Center in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, Monisha and
Steby are putting their lives back together. These two young girls, who each
lost a sibling in the tsunami, have started attending the Computer Center ,
which was set up by the South Indian Federation of Fishermen (SIFFS), one of
UNDP's main partners in the region. Learning about computers and how to use
them is helping these children deal with the pain of what happened. The
center offers informal learning to students between the ages of 12 and 18 on
how to use basic software, including through games. A total of 157 girls and
92 boys attend the center, and many are already asking to attend evening
sessions once school starts. During the school year, the center also
conducts a program for unemployed youth. Nearly 70 have already attended the
program and are learning some basic computer programs.
http://www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org/progressreports/siffs1.asp

top
OTHER COUNTRIES
INDONESIA

Play reveals voice of tsunami women: A group of Acehnese women from the
Inong Aceh Theater reminded Jakartans of the pain of the insurgency and the
tsunami in a recent performance, Tsunami & Tsunami, at the National
Commission on Women's offices in Central Jakarta. The women hail from a
small village called Lamnga in Aceh Besar, which was mostly destroyed by the
waves. The suspense sets in when the women reenact the terror of the
tsunami. Some members of the audience wept along with the players, others
sat still on their seats but clearly struggled to hold off heavy emotions.
The brief, awkward silence did not last too long -- because the actors moved
on, to portray their range of experiences after the tsunami. In a frank and
often humorous way, they took digs at the many groups involved in the Aceh
reconstruction process. Among their targets were the Aceh-Nias
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR), the uncountable number of
NGOs at the scene and the media. In one scene, the women mocked the
immediate presence of local, national and international aid groups in Aceh.
Members of NGOs kept asking them for data they did not have to get funding
for projects that never eventuated, without listening to what they had to
say, or taking their emotions into account.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20060626.R02&irec=3


Aceh fishery sector still needs assistance: The fishing sector in Aceh is
slowly returning to normal. Aceh fishermen work with available but limited
equipment. The tsunami and earthquake had an adverse impact on 54,516
fishermen, or more than 70 percent of the people working in the industry.
The government is making efforts to restore the fishing industry, but so far
only 47 percent of the infrastructure damaged in the tsunami, mainly fishing
ports and fish landing facilities, has been rebuilt more than a year after
the disaster. Besides equipment and infrastructure limitations, many shoal
areas silted up after the tsunami, restricting fishing in shallow waters.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060629.G04&irec=3


SRI LANKA
New building for tsunami destroyed school in Ninthavur: Three storied
building constructed at an estimated cost of about 25 million rupees for
tsunami destroyed Ninthavur Al-Athan Vidiyalyam in the Amparai district by
the Rotary Club of Nikaweratiya in association with the Rotary Club of
Wariyapola was handed over to the Provincial Department of Education at an
event held Sunday evening, sources in Amparai said. Several Rotary Clubs in
the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and Canada jointly
funded the project. Past District Governor of the Rotary Club The new
building complex comprises a Computer Block, Principal Quarters and other
basic facilities.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18637


Sri Lanka: FAO and MFAR honour women trainees in Colombo: In a ceremony
presided over by Honourable Felix Perera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and
Ministry (MFAR) awarded some 200 women with certificates for participating
in training-workshops aimed at the 'Social and Economic Empowerment of Women'.
The women were also given tool kits according to the training received
during these workshops. The training courses and input distribution were
made possible by generous funding by the governments of Belgium and Norway,
Italy's Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile) and the European
Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO).
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6R558W?OpenDocument


USAID project to revitalize harbors in Southern towns: The United States
marked today the start of a wide-ranging project to benefit the
tsunami-damaged fishing industry in Sri Lanka at a ceremony in this coastal
town inaugurating the first phase of an overall revitalization of this
fishing harbor, as well as at harbors in Mirissa and Puranawella. The
project is a key element of the Sri Lanka Tsunami Reconstruction Program
(SLTRP) of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It was
developed in partnership with the Ceylon Fishery Harbor Corporation under
the aegis of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The
three-month initial phase of the project will include Rs. 21 million in
water and sanitation improvements, and upgraded piers with new fenders and
bollards to increase docking capacity at the harbors. It will be followed by
the project's major works, an 18-month repair and upgrade of damaged quays
and breakwaters, and dredging at two of the three harbors.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18654


Children's Consultation on Education (CCE) in Tsunami Affected Areas: In
order to find out children's experiences of Tsunami rehabilitation, Save the
Children in Sri Lanka (SCiSL)  is carrying out the Children's Consultation
on Education in three phases. This first phase of the study which included a
comprehensive field survey conducted during March-April, 2006. The second
phase will be followed by an Advocacy programme to strengthen children's
participation and consultation. In the third phase, the survey will be
repeated to assess the reconstruction and rehabilitation process and the
level of child participation, followed by another Advocacy programme. The
survey reveals that in the Northern Province, the war and the Tsunami, both
affected the education of children. In the Eastern province the low
intensity war coupled with ethnic tension and the Tsunami affected the
education of children. However, In the Southern Province the sole key factor
was the Tsunami. SCiSL is sharing the findings from this research phase with
the Ministry of Education and other agencies.
http://www.iicrd.org/cap/node/view/786

THAILAND
Tsunami miniseries sets off debate: The filming of "Aftermath" - a two-part
miniseries produced by the BBC and HBO, shot along Thailand's
tsunami-battered coast - has set off a debate over the merits of bringing
the tragedy to the screen so soon after the disaster. Supporters say it's an
important story, touching on universal themes of hope and loss, while many
survivors say reviving the tsunami has hit them with more heartache. Other
Thais welcomed the production, saying it could bring jobs to the area and
serve as an educational tool. Thai survivors and relief workers say they
were most angered that the crew chose to re-enact the disaster -complete
with dead bodies and overturned cars - on the main road through Khao Lak
that was devastated by the giant waves. Others were upset the crew chose to
put up flyers throughout the tsunami-hit region, saying victims were needed
as extras.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13620218/page/2/

MALDIVES

Kulhudhuffushi Marketplace Lies Empty as Fisheries Ministry Refuses to
Release Funds: The fisheries ministry is refusing to pay for the completion
of a post-tsunami marketplace in Haa Dhaal, Kulhudhuffushi because of
political reasons. The $70,000 marketplace - one of the largest structures
ever built in Haa Dhaal - has been lying empty for over three months because
the ministry is refusing to stump up the estimated $5,000 needed to finish
the marketplace's floor. The Kulhudhuffushi island development committee
(IDC) wants the marketplace to help kick start a local economy that was
battered during the December 2004 tsunami. The government's regional
development strategy also recognizes that a marketplace located in
Kulhudhuffushi would help encourage regional growth. In an agreement signed
last year, the fisheries ministry agreed to pay for the floor of the
marketplace if the Kulhudhuffushi IDC completed the building's external
structure. But the ministry is refusing to release the money because of the
involvement of Maldives Aid, a British based tsunami charity, in the
project.
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=2218


British Red Cross Abandons Kolhufushi Project: The British Red Cross has
withdrawn from a major tsunami reconstruction project on Kolhufushi Island
(Meemu Atoll) due to the failure of local and central government to reach a
final decision on the development plan. The Red Cross withdrew last month
and reportedly handed over the earmarked money to central government. The
local disagreement centred around the plan of moving the entire settlement
to the centre of the island, and therefore demolishing all existing housing,
rather than just rebuilding houses damaged on the coast by the tsunami.
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=2217

Japan Loans Maldives $23 Million for Tsunami Recovery: Japan has provided a
$23 million (Rf. 342m) low-interest loan to the Maldives to help with
tsunami reconstruction. The loan is earmarked to pay for the reconstruction
of harbours and sewerage systems in eight islands badly damaged by the
December 2004 tsunami. In a short ceremony on Monday, foreign minister Dr
Shaheed and the Japanese Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Akio Suda, signed the Exchange
of Notes between the two governments. The loan is offered on highly
concessionary terms with an interest rate set at just 0.75% per year. The
money will have to be paid back to Japan but not until 2036.
http://www.minivannews.com/news/news.php?id=2227


IFAD to provide an additional US$2.1 million loan to Maldivian fishing and
farming communities to help recover from the tsunami by building back
better: Fishing families and small farmers in remote islands of the Maldives
whose livelihoods were devastated by the December 2004 tsunami, will benefit
from additional financing for a development programme. The programme focuses
on asset recovery and rehabilitation, and on strengthening the country's
fishing and agriculture sectors. The first financial contribution towards
the US$5 million Post-Tsunami Agricultural and Fisheries Rehabilitation
Programme was approved by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) in April 2005 in the form of a US$2.1 million highly
concessionary loan and a grant of US$200,000. The new US$2.1 million loan
will add to this. The remaining programme costs will be covered by the
Government of the Maldives.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6R9MXY?OpenDocument

top
Disclaimer:
This news update is provided by TRINet for the benefit of those working in
tsunami rehabilitation
purely for information purposes only.
Please send your comments to info.trinet@...
Visit us at: www.trinet.in


C

Mr………… can u overgrow ? Are u natural?
Like wise the mangroves cannot either.

It doest matter where you grow up in the globe, but
what matters is how u contributes to the ecosystem …
Growing of mangrove is a natural tendency of the
nature to protect itself in manyways.

It is like why monkeys need tail and hair on their
body and we don’t …what will happen if you keep your
dog shaven for the rest of his life will it live
longer and healthier or die soon.

And what if you allow the hairs to grow again …I guess
it will grow more strongly so that to protect itself
by getting chopped off again.

Change is the law of nature and it has the capability
to protect itself
There are a lot of things to be told …but for now I
suggest please avoid baseless talks.
You don’t have to produce ant documentary evidence. I
believe you! But wat is wrong in watching it grow
more. Is some body like the zilla parishad head wants
to reclaim more land???

I don’t know what balance of “read and actual facts” r
you talking about but it has to be justified based on
the learning’s from the past
There is a good book called collapse even I am looking
for it ….it speaks a lot about it .

The fact is that Andaman is too limited in resources
for sustainability of the overgrown population”

Now the common ground is how appropriately we plan the
future, where we are expecting more tourist and
migration..
The common ground had been also ignoring population
influx issue there.
As I remember this discussion was started as somebody
suggested forming a guideline to be produced and
followed for development…
Shall we start up there…?

Can somebody share such examples of development plans
and guidelines for references?

Simron once gave me a wonderful concept.
• Study of the drivers to the environmental impact
• Calculating the pressure to time
• Planning accordingly

What I feel is that we are not jumping but the
government is jumping without any infrastructure,
without any preparedness...your gun is pointing in a
wrong direction.




__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Dear Group members

Interesing articles have come up after a recent announcement by
Andaman Govt about the possible opening up of some areas for Tourism.
The pro development thinkers definitely feel enthusiastic and would
support any  such  initiatives. The announcement may not be of much
relevance in immeadiate future since the administrators have a
universal compulsion to make such announcements about which they may
themselves in doubt. It is understood that in Andmans the tourism
promotion is the responsibility of a unit of the Administration unlike
other places where we have autonomous set ups which can draw upon
talent of professionals in the field.A visit to some of the
patheically maintained sttae Govt. Tourist Home sometimes back was an
eye opener for us.The announcement may therefore be subjected to study
only if the Andaman Govt,. keeps is under operation for sometime.There
was an agreement signed by the previous Administartor and the Tourism
Secretary with Phuket with similar fanfare. It has sunk without trace
(except perhaps for the bills on foreign tour).

For the development lobby there is a need for being cautious. We pray
that please look at the history of Andamans. How well intentioned
persons have started some measures which they considered good for
economy of the place or how attempts were made to bring tribals im
main stream but with disastourous results.

There were two articles on this page about recent studies on
sustainability of fragile ecology of the place.Let us first go through
such studies.One member has circulated an appeal for Govt of India
pointing out several deficiency in the proposed CRZ laws.Today there
are two articles showing the pressure on land, tarffic problems in
Port Blair and another Article showing Promotion of Tourism in Tribal
areas through STS buses.All these news items show the pathetic
conditions of the Govt set  up there and raise severe doubts about the
results of massive influx of Tourists to this area.

Also if anybody is under the apprehension that this kind of Tourism
promotion will result into a massive job market in Andaamns then he
may  also try to look at the massive influx of jobseekers from
mainland and see as to how local people have been left behind in Govt
Jobs . Also please visit the leading hotels and restaurants in
Andamans and find out as to what is the true picture.

We appreciate that there are some dedicated people who are peromoting
local employment in their units.But if the competition heats up the
talent available locally may again suffer like the past.

Finally also remember that Nicobaris have a strong spirit of survival
because they have had the foresight to see the pitfalls of such global
tourism.An article brought in this spot twodays back showed that
theyhave clear aversion to such projects.

Crab

Dear Mr. Ahmed,
claimed as the only responsible newspaper of the islands, may I refer you to
Denis Giles report on Jarawa Tourism, a deal between tour operators and the
Administration. Perhaps it is worth reminding your paper that in the
19th.Century Britian and Europe also used the human zoo concept to promote
white supremism.Similarly, the First Nations of Canada suffered complete
marginalisation at the hands of the settlers, again convicts and political
prisoners who were sent off to North Ameerica, Australia and the Carribean
Islands, to capture resources through guile, military power and forgery. On
the Andaman Issue, I m surprised to read an unsigned article cynically
reproducing carefully extracted bits from postings on the group site by
Ashish Kothari and myself.I dont think this is good journalism. On the issue
of stakeholders, civil society has never excluded industry and in this
case the settlers, who seem to be their allies, but why do they deny others
the right to be stakeholders?If opinions differ on the kind of tourism and
its volume, instead of taking pot shots at each other, maybe differences
should be talked over. I know, in the academic community many "settlers",
who have , as Indian Citizens, taken jobs on the mainland in services and
industry. The kind of pseudo-sons of the soil argument given by settlers and
the industry does not hold good. In that case every corner of India will say
that because they are unemployed, all sustainability and the rights of
non-job seekers should be thrown by the wayside and only the rights of the
unemployed should be given priority in the planning process.This attitude is
reflected in every issue concerning the islands and I think the settlers
associations and the tourism industry requires some introspection on current
conflicts, in their own interests, if not in the interests of all groups of
civil society on the islands.
Nina Rao


On 30/06/06, zubair ahmed <zubairpbl@...> wrote:
>
> *The Light of Andamans:::Issue 28, 1 July 2006*
>
> *New Initiatives in Traffic Management*
> By Govinda Raju
>
> Prosperity has its own peril. Port Blair town is not increasing as it
> should
> have. Bulk of population is compressed in 17 square kilometers of
> municipal
> area. Civic amenities and infrastructure that was good enough for a
> population of 75000 to one lakh, find it difficult to cope up with over 2
> lakh people. It is bursting through the seams. The amenities and
> facilities
> are unable to meet the increasing demands.
>     The number of automobiles keeps on increasing day by day. There were
> over 40,000 of various types of motor vehicles by the end of April 2006. A
> whopping 29,986 of them were two wheelers including 11, 796 motor cycles,
> 15,214 scooters and 2976 mopeds. Bulk of these vehicles; over 50% by any
> count, are in Port Blair municipal area. Congested thoroughfares, clogged
> streets and jammed by-lanes are the result.
> The traffic management is in chaos. It is run with a skeletal staff and
> officers. Infrastructure is lacking. There are pressures, mostly
> political,
> to protect the defaulters. It is race against time since the new vehicles
> keep on adding to increase the chaos.
> Multiplicity of authority is another problem. Licensing is with the
> Police,
> permit with the State Transport Authority and meter calibration and
> verification with the Civil Supplies. All these authorities have to look
> at
> the Secretariat for clearance of every major and minor decision.
> But a common man is not concerned with the problems of the state or the
> Police or Civil Supplies or the State Transport Authority. He must get
> what
> is his due. And getting a transport for his chosen destination; at a right
> price, at the right time; day or night, is his fundamental right. His
> right
> is violated by arbitrary and whimsical actions of the autowallahs and he
> is
> concerned.
> Muted protests are heard for a long time. We decided to talk to the right
> people; the Civil Supplies Department, the Police and the State Transport
> Authority. It was found that the State Transport Authority comes into
> action
> when a permit is to be cancelled. The case never reaches that stage. Mr.
> R.P.
> Singh, Assistant Director (Civil Supplies) explained their position and
> Mr.
> Govind Ram, Director (Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs) reiterated it.
> Mr. Jaspal Singh, Superintendent of Police was very candid and forthcoming
> in his response to our questions. Incidentally, Mr. Vikram Porwal, Deputy
> Superintendent of Police, South Andaman and Mr. N. Rasheed, Inspector
> (Traffic) were also present when this reporter met Mr. Jaspal Singh in
> chamber on June 26.
> Mr. Jaspal Singh agreed at the outset that there were complaints against
> the
> auto drivers. But he also lamented that neither the citizens nor any
> activist group took any step to take the complaint further. A vigilant
> public is the best antidote against such wrong doers. Police is also
> handicapped in the absence of pressure groups in the public for right
> causes.
> He explained that many proposals were on the anvil to help the commuters
> as
> also to improve the general condition of congestion at commercial centres
> in
> town.
> Some of them are:
> �     Introduction of pre-paid auto hiring as it is prevalent in many
> cities
> on the mainland. Initially the points would be GB Pant Hospital, Airport
> and
> Mohanpura Auto Stand. Later on more points would be added.
> �     More Parking places, 12 of them in all to be precise,
> �     Display of large hoardings detailing norms about safe driving,
> traffic
> imperatives etc at vintage points,
> �     Booklets on Traffic Education for school children etc.
> During interview many paints came up.
> �     Denial of free Left Turn at traffic crossings,
> �     Long periods, one minute to be exact, at major traffic intersections
> causing pollution hazard as well as burning costly fuel even when there is
> no traffic,
> �     Outside autorickshaws congesting the already saturated traffic
> scenario in municipal area.
> Mr. Singh tried to explain that free left turn was stopped just for a few
> seconds to allow merger of two streams of traffic flow.
> He agreed to look at long periods of halt and to specify it for a couple
> of
> hours in the morning and evening during peak rush hours. Rest of the day
> it
> can have short halts.
>     About identification of the autorickshaws of Port Blair municipal
> area,
> he said the department was toying with the idea of having a different
> colour
> for them. Outside autos would be permitted to carry a passenger from rural
> area to a fixed point in town and return without soliciting local
> business.
> However, if a passenger hails it for a trip back to rural area, he would
> be
> permitted to take him. Same would be valid for autos of municipal area.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello all!

This news has been published in Andaman Herald daily
dated July 01, 2006. The CPI(M) conducted public
meetings demanding to include the Ranchi community
living in the islands in tribal category.

Ranchi Community Living In the Islands Should Be
Declared As Tribals: CPI (M)

Port Blair, June 30: As part of the campaign programme
launched by the CPI (M) against the anti-people
policies of the central government and A&N
Administration, the South Andaman Zone Committee of
the Party conducted a series of public meetings/corner
meetings at Haddo on 23.06.2006, Dairy Farm on
24.06.2006 and at Bambooflat on 29.06.2006. The
speakers in the meetings held, demanded that the
Ranchi community living in these islands should be
declared as Tribals and till then they should be
included in the OBC list.

The party has further demanded that all other eligible
communities living in the islands should also be
included in the OBC list. The speakers criticised the
central government for the hike in the petroleum
products. Leaders who spoke in the meetings expressed
concern over the price rise of essential commodities.
The CPI (M) demanded establishment of Legislative
Assembly in the islands.

S/Shri KG Das, HN Parial, B. Chandrachoodan, D.
Lakshman Rao, Mohanan Pillai and Tulasi spoke in these
meetings, a communication said here.

=====================

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

The text of the Resolution passed by the Human Rights Council at its first
session as Agenda item 4 on 23 June 2006 is given below. The voting took
place on 29 June 2006. An account of this is also given at the bottom. Those who
would like to have a copy of the full Text of the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples as passed, do send in your
request.Bijoy-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Human Rights Council,



            Recalling
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995, in which it
established an open-ended intersessional working group with the sole purpose of
elaborating a draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples, considering the draft contained in the annex to resolution 1994/45 of
the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, for
consideration and adoption by the General Assembly within the first
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People,




The Human Rights Council,



            Recalling
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995, in which it
established an open-ended intersessional working group with the sole purpose of
elaborating a draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples, considering the draft contained in the annex to resolution 1994/45 of
the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, for
consideration and adoption by the General Assembly within the first
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People,





The Human Rights Council,



            Recalling
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995, in which it
established an open-ended intersessional working group with the sole purpose of
elaborating a draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples, considering the draft contained in the annex to resolution 1994/45 of
the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, for
consideration and adoption by the General Assembly within the first
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People,




Aware that the working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a
draft declaration in accordance with paragraph 5 of the General Assembly
resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994 has held 11 sessions
between 1995 and 2006,



            Considering
that the General Assembly, in its resolution 59/174 of 20 December 2004, urges
all parties involved in the process of negotiation to do their utmost to carry
out successfully the mandate of the working group and to present to the General
Assembly for adoption as soon as possible a final draft United Nations
declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples,



            Stressing
that paragraph 127 of the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit, adopted by
the General Assembly in its resolution 60/1 of 16 September 2005, reaffirms the
commitment of the international community to adopt a final draft United Nations
declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples as soon as possible,



            Taking note
of the report of the working group on its eleventh session, which took
place in Geneva from 5 to 16 December 2005 and from 30 January to 3
February 2006 (E/CN.4/2006/79),



            Welcoming the
conclusion of the Chairperson-Rapporteur in paragraph 30 of the report of the
working group and his proposal as contained in annex I to the report,



           
1.         Adopts the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as proposed by the
Chairperson-Rapporteur of the working group of the Commission on Human Rights to
elaborate a draft declaration in accordance with paragraph 5 of the General
Assembly resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994 in annex I to the report of
the working group on its eleventh session (E/CN.4/2006/79);



           
2.         Recommends to the General
Assembly that it adopt the following draft resolution:



            The General
Assembly,
            Taking note
of Human Rights Council resolution 2006/… of … June 2006, in
which the Council adopted the text of the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
           
1.         Expresses its appreciation to
the Council for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples;
           
2.         Adopts the Declaration as
contained in the annex to Council resolution
2006/….------------------------Account of what took place on 29 June 2006
extracted from the mail of Victoria Tauli Corpuz, Chairperson, United Nations
(UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues  \'The score as you can see is
that 30 countries voted in favor, 2 voted against, 12 abstained and 3 were
absent.Those who voted for the adoption were 9 -Asian countries, 4 -African
countries, 4 - Eastern European and other states, Latin America and the
Carribean - 7 .This is already adopted by the Human Rights Council. What follows
next is that this goes to the General Assembly where they will decide on its
adoption.warm regards,VickyAction on Resolution on Declaration on Rights of
Indigenous PeoplesIn a resolution (A/HRC/1/L.3), entitled Working Group of the
Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration in accordance with
paragraph 5 of the General Assembly resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994,
adopted after a roll-call vote by thirty in favour, two against, and twelve
abstentions, the Human Rights Council adopts the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as proposed by the Chairperson-Rapporteur of
the Working Group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft
declaration in accordance with paragraph 5 of the General Assembly resolution
49/214 of 23 December 1994 in annex I to the report of the Working Group on its
eleventhsession (E/CN.4/2006/79); recommends to the General Assembly that it
adopt the following draft resolution:The General Assembly, expresses its
appreciation to the Council for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and adopts the Declaration as contained in
the annex to Council resolution 2006/….The United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples says indigenous peoples have the right to the full
enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.
Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and
individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in
the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous
origin or identity. Indigenous peoples have the right of self-determination. By
virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely
pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Indigenous peoples have
the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic,
social and cultural institutions, while retaining their rights to participate
fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life
of the State.The result of the vote was as follows:In favour (30):Azerbaijan,
Brazil, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France,
Germany, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,
Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switerzland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Zambia.Against (2):Canada, Russian
Federation.Abstentions (12):Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Ghana,
Jordan, Morocco,Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Tunisia, Ukraine.Absent
(3):Djibouti, Gabon, Mali.AJAI MALHOTRA (India), in an explanation of the vote
before the vote, said India had consistently favoured the rights of indigenous
peoples, and had worked for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The text before the Council was the result of 11 years of hard work. The text
did not contain a definition of “indigenous”. The entire population of India was
considered to be indigenous. With regards to the right to self-determination,
this was understood to apply only to peoples under foreign domination, and not
to a nation of indigenous persons. With this understanding, India was ready to
support the proposal for the adoptionof the draft Declaration, and would vote in
its favour.CARLA RODRIGUEZ MANCIA (Guatemala), in a general comment, said enough
time had gone during the last 20 years in drafting the Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples. The declaration would be a historical achievement in the
efforts of the international community towards the rights of the indigenous
peoples. The adopting the draft declaration would help the indigenous peoples.
Guatemala called on all States toadopt the draft by consensus.JEAN-DANIEL VIGNY
(Switzerland), in a general comment, said the text was a compromise one which
met with agreement with most of the delegations and most of the representatives
of indigenous groups. Switzerland would have wished for the text to be adopted
by consensus, but if this was not the case, it would vote in favour of the
text.XOCHITI GALVEZ (Mexico), in a general comment, said that they had finally
closed the circle. They were at an historic point in time, finally acknowledging
the fundamental rights of the world’s indigenous peoples. Mexico was prepared to
support the adoption of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. Where there was a collective political will, they could achieve a great
deal. That had been seen in the Working Group, where the spirit of cooperation
and dialogue had prevailed.Mexico exhorted those countries that still had
misgivings to votefavourably on this resolution. It was important for the Human
RightsCouncil to give a clear signal to indigenous peoples throughout theworld
that it was working to promote and protect their human rights.PAUL MEYER
(Canada), in an explanation of the vote before the vote, acknowledged the
important role that Canada, as well as other indigenous organizations, had
played in the process of the drafting of the Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. The proposal did not receive the necessary support, even
though Canada, some other countries and a few indigenous representatives noted
in their statements difficulties with a process where all parties had not
discussed proposed language on several key issues. Canada had worked for a
declaration that would promote and protect the human rights and fundamental
freedoms ofevery indigenous person without discrimination and recognized
thecollective rights of indigenous peoples around the world. Canada had a long
and proud tradition of not only supporting but also actively advocating
Aboriginal and treaty rights at home and was fully committed to working
internationally on indigenous issues. Regrettably, however, Canada would vote
against the resolution.GUSTI AGUNG WESAKA PUJA (Indonesia), speaking in an
explanation of the vote before the vote, said that Indonesia had been following
closely over 11 years the negotiations on this draft Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples. The Human Rights Council, as a new body, had to address
such important issues as this draft declaration. Therefore Indonesia supported
the adoption of the draft declaration to protect and support the rights of
indigenous peoples worldwide. Indonesia was a multicultural nation that did not
discriminate against its population on any grounds. All of Indonesia’s citizens
enjoyed the right to equal treatment before the law.TOUFIQ ALI (Bangladesh),
speaking in an explanation of the vote before the vote, said that the text did
not follow the usual procedure before it was put as a final text for adoption.
Bangladesh was a party to the International Covenants on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, and Civil and Political Rights and was making all efforts to
implement them. Until some of the articles in the text were not amended,
Bangladesh would abstain from the voting.ALEXEY AKZHIGITOV (Russian Federation),
in an explanation of the vote before the vote, said great importance was given
to defending the rights of indigenous peoples. The adoption by consensus of the
draft would constitute a major step forward in ensuring the powers of indigenous
peoples. Many provisions of the draft were acceptable. The draft should be
effective and an authoritative international document. To date, the proposed
text which had been submitted to the Council did not representall of these
characteristics, as the text did not enjoy genuineconsensus, and had not been
agreed on by all sides. Its adoption would set a negative precedent, and in this
context Russia could not support the draft declaration in this form and in the
procedure that had been used, and would vote against it. However, this did not
mean that Russia was against a continuation of a discussion of the issue, and
would work for international cooperation in the protection of the rights of
indigenous persons.SHA ZUKANG (China), speaking in an explanation of the vote
before the vote, said that China was in favour of the draft resolution under
review on a draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. The adoption of this United Nations instrument would be done after
extensive consideration, China noted. China regretted that this instrument would
have to be adopted by voting, at this very early stage of the work of the Human
Rights Council. China hoped that in the future work of the Council members would
conduct their work in a constructive spirit of cooperation.ENRIQUE MANALO
(Philippines), in an explanation of the vote before the vote, said the
Government of the Philippines was fully committed to safeguarding and promoting
the rights of its indigenous peoples. Because of that commitment, the Government
had enacted a national indigenous people’s rights act and had two autonomous
regions in the country. If the draft resolution on the declaration were to be
put for a vote, the delegation of the Philippines would abstain.CLODOALDO
HUGUENEY (Brazil), speaking in an explanation of the vote after the vote, said
Brazil had voted for the resolution, and believed that the decision was a major
achievement which augured well for the Council’s work, and commended States and
indigenous peoples who had made great efforts to ensure this memorable result.
The Declaration asserted the importance of the indigenous peoples in societies,
acknowledged diversity as a richness of countries, and aligned the past and
presentcontribution of indigenous peoples to States. Brazil recognised
theinvaluable contribution of indigenous peoples to the political,economic,
social, cultural and spiritual development of its society. The Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would be of utmost importance to fight
discrimination against indigenous peoples and distortion created by centuries of
discrimination. It would help to create societal harmony. Brazil had no doubt
that the declaration was a reaffirmation of the commitment of the international
community to ensure the enjoyment of indigenous peoples of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms and to respect the value of their indigenous cultures and
identity.IDRISS JAZAÏRY (Algeria), speaking in an explanation of the vote after
the vote, said that he wanted it to be noted that he had joined in the standing
ovation that had marked the adoption of this declaration by the Council.
Unfortunately, Algeria had had to abstain. He would like to plead for this
declaration to have the maximum number of positive votes. In fact, Algeria had
numerous indigenous peoples and had hoped the declaration would have been
adopted unanimously, in which case it would have been able to join the
consensus. Unfortunately the declaration was in conflict with the Constitution
of Algeria, which contained a provision on political parties that stipulated
they could not be on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity. For that reason
Algeria could notvote in favour.HIROSHI MINAMI (Japan), speaking in an
explanation of the vote after the vote, said the delegation of Japan had been
participating in the Working Group for the drafting of the Declaration on the
Rights Indigenous People for the last 12 years and it had voted in favour of the
draft resolution. The Government would interpret the declaration that the
meaning of autonomy that it might not affect the territorial integration of
State sovereignty. Further, the Government did not recognize collective
rights.SERGIO CERDA (Argentina), speaking in an explanation of the vote after
the vote, said Argentina had abstained, and regretted it had not been able to
join the favourable vote. Despite Argentina’s clear adhesion to the rights of
indigenous peoples, Argentina regretted the lack of time to deal with certain
provisions of the declaration, which were of particular importance, namely the
process of self-determination and territorial integrity. Argentina hoped that
the situation would be rectified in the General Assembly, and Argentina would be
able to vote in favour there, especially as this was one of the most important
and legitimate topics to be dealt with by the international community.VOLODYMYR
VASSYLENKO (Ukraine), speaking in an explanation of the vote after the vote,
said that Ukraine had always supported the elaboration of an international
instrument for the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.
The protection of indigenous peoples was one of the core rules of Ukrainian law.
For that reason, Ukraine had been striving to elaborate an instrument that would
provide the proper balance between the rights of indigenous peoples and those of
sovereignStates.Ukraine said that the document just adopted by the Council
contained important protections for the rights of indigenous peoples, but it
also contained important flaws. It purported to define a right of
self-determination for indigenous peoples. For that reason, and because it
failed to fulfil the need to preserve the territorial and political integrity of
sovereign States, Ukraine could not support it. Ukraine regretted that the text
had been adopted without allowing Member States to improve the document so that
it could reach consensus.NARSINGHEN HAMTYRAGEN (Mauritius), speaking in an
explanation of the vote after the vote, said the declaration would consolidate
the existing universal human rights. It was expected that all States would
contribute in resolving the difficulties of indigenous peoples. There was a fear
that some self-designated indigenous groups might threaten the sovereignty of a
State by following a wrong interpretation of the declaration. The concept of
autonomy should not be interpreted to jeopardize the sovereignty of a
State.ANDREAS PFAFFERNOSCHKE (Germany), speaking in an explanation of the vote
after the vote, said along with other efforts undertaken during the past decade
to improve the situation of indigenous peoples throughout the world, Germany had
closely monitored the development of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. The adoption of the document provedthat the new Council was able to
produce concrete results for thebenefit of indigenous peoples, who were entitled
to the same humanrights and fundamental freedoms as everybody else. The respect
and application of existing binding international human rights law remained
essential. The primary importance of individual human rights protection was
asserted in the Declaration. Germany understood the right to self-determination
set out in the Declaration to be a new right, specific to indigenous peoples,
and it could not influence the territorial integrity of a State. The
Declaration, being an important instrument to enhance the rights of indigenous
peoples was non-legally binding. Germany’s own national minorities and ethnic
groups, which enjoyed protection of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,
did not fall under the scope of the Declaration.NICHOLAS THORNE (United
Kingdom), speaking in an explanation of the vote after the vote, said that the
United Kingdom welcomed the declaration as an important tool to enhance the
promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, and regretted that
the declaration had had to come to a vote. The United Kingdom felt that its
concerns had been addressed in negotiations, as reflected in the declaration,
and it fullysupported the provisions of the declaration that recognized the
rights of indigenous peoples under international law, on an equal footing with
all.The United Kingdom observed that it did not accept the concept ofcollective
rights in international law. The United Kingdom clarifiedthat it understood the
right of self-determination as set out in thedeclaration as one which was to be
exercised within the territory of a State and which was not designed to impact
in any way on the territorial integrity of States. The United Kingdom emphasized
that the declaration was not legally binding and that the citizens of the United
Kingdom and its territories overseas did not fall within the scope of the
declaration.MOHAMMED LOULICHKI (Morocco), in an explanation of the vote after
the vote, said the delegation of Morocco had abstained during the vote. The
delegation of Morocco would have preferred that the resolution be adopted by
consensus so that Morocco could have joined. Morocco was making progress in
building its democratic system and in strengthening the human rights of its
people.ADELE WILDSCHUT of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus, said on the adoption of
the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that the League of Nations
had not acted on the demands of the envoys of the Maoris and others, and the
roots of the discrimination went back to the 1970s, a time when the
international community had been prompted to pay attention to the indigenous
peoples in the Americas. The repeated demands for the distinction of the
distinct status of the indigenous peoples had at last been addressed, after
substantive debate with positions that had been consistent with international
law. The international community had been educated as to the status, rights, and
lives of indigenous peoples inevery corner of the world. The true legacy of the
declaration would be the way in which the lives of the indigenous peoples would
be affected on a daily basis. It was the implementation of the declaration at
the community level which would have the greatest impact. The States that had
worked with the indigenous peoples would not be forgotten. It was hoped that
each State would stand with the indigenous peoples at the General Assembly.
Indigenous peoples wished for harmony in accordance with the natural world and
hoped that all would be brought together to embrace the positive contribution
that indigenous peoples made to mankind.Victoria Tauli CorpuzChairperson, United
Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues website:
www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii

C.R Bijoy

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans:::Issue 28, 1 July 2006*
**
*Chamber Of Commerce Elections*
By *Staff Reporter*

*Port Blair:*  Mr. Mohammed H Jadwet of the House of Jadwets was elected
president of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the third
consecutive term in the general body meeting of the Chamber held at hotel
Megapod Nest on Sunday June 18, 2006.

Mr. G.Bhaskar of TS Guruswamy group was elected the general Sceretary while
M/S Hari Narayan Arora, A.K. Bhojarajan and G.
Dhinakaran were elected vice presidents. M/S Surendra Prahladka, Anil Goel
and Akhtarkhanvi Meherzad were elected Joints Secretaries. Mr. M.Vincent was
elected Treasurer. In addition, sixteen Committee members were also elected.
The past presidents M/S GL Sharma and SC Malhotra would also be Committee
Member as per the bye-laws of the Chamber.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans:::Issue 28, 1 July 2006*

*New Initiatives in Traffic Management*
By Govinda Raju

Prosperity has its own peril. Port Blair town is not increasing as it should
have. Bulk of population is compressed in 17 square kilometers of municipal
area. Civic amenities and infrastructure that was good enough for a
population of 75000 to one lakh, find it difficult to cope up with over 2
lakh people. It is bursting through the seams. The amenities and facilities
are unable to meet the increasing demands.
      The number of automobiles keeps on increasing day by day. There were
over 40,000 of various types of motor vehicles by the end of April 2006. A
whopping 29,986 of them were two wheelers including 11, 796 motor cycles,
15,214 scooters and 2976 mopeds. Bulk of these vehicles; over 50% by any
count, are in Port Blair municipal area. Congested thoroughfares, clogged
streets and jammed by-lanes are the result.
The traffic management is in chaos. It is run with a skeletal staff and
officers. Infrastructure is lacking. There are pressures, mostly political,
to protect the defaulters. It is race against time since the new vehicles
keep on adding to increase the chaos.
Multiplicity of authority is another problem. Licensing is with the Police,
permit with the State Transport Authority and meter calibration and
verification with the Civil Supplies. All these authorities have to look at
the Secretariat for clearance of every major and minor decision.
But a common man is not concerned with the problems of the state or the
Police or Civil Supplies or the State Transport Authority. He must get what
is his due. And getting a transport for his chosen destination; at a right
price, at the right time; day or night, is his fundamental right. His right
is violated by arbitrary and whimsical actions of the autowallahs and he is
concerned.
Muted protests are heard for a long time. We decided to talk to the right
people; the Civil Supplies Department, the Police and the State Transport
Authority. It was found that the State Transport Authority comes into action
when a permit is to be cancelled. The case never reaches that stage. Mr. R.P.
Singh, Assistant Director (Civil Supplies) explained their position and Mr.
Govind Ram, Director (Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs) reiterated it.
Mr. Jaspal Singh, Superintendent of Police was very candid and forthcoming
in his response to our questions. Incidentally, Mr. Vikram Porwal, Deputy
Superintendent of Police, South Andaman and Mr. N. Rasheed, Inspector
(Traffic) were also present when this reporter met Mr. Jaspal Singh in
chamber on June 26.
Mr. Jaspal Singh agreed at the outset that there were complaints against the
auto drivers. But he also lamented that neither the citizens nor any
activist group took any step to take the complaint further. A vigilant
public is the best antidote against such wrong doers. Police is also
handicapped in the absence of pressure groups in the public for right
causes.
He explained that many proposals were on the anvil to help the commuters as
also to improve the general condition of congestion at commercial centres in
town.
Some of them are:
•     Introduction of pre-paid auto hiring as it is prevalent in many cities
on the mainland. Initially the points would be GB Pant Hospital, Airport and
Mohanpura Auto Stand. Later on more points would be added.
•     More Parking places, 12 of them in all to be precise,
•     Display of large hoardings detailing norms about safe driving, traffic
imperatives etc at vintage points,
•     Booklets on Traffic Education for school children etc.
During interview many paints came up.
•     Denial of free Left Turn at traffic crossings,
•     Long periods, one minute to be exact, at major traffic intersections
causing pollution hazard as well as burning costly fuel even when there is
no traffic,
•     Outside autorickshaws congesting the already saturated traffic
scenario in municipal area.
Mr. Singh tried to explain that free left turn was stopped just for a few
seconds to allow merger of two streams of traffic flow.
He agreed to look at long periods of halt and to specify it for a couple of
hours in the morning and evening during peak rush hours. Rest of the day it
can have short halts.
      About identification of the autorickshaws of Port Blair municipal area,
he said the department was toying with the idea of having a different colour
for them. Outside autos would be permitted to carry a passenger from rural
area to a fixed point in town and return without soliciting local business.
However, if a passenger hails it for a trip back to rural area, he would be
permitted to take him. Same would be valid for autos of municipal area.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The Light of Andamans::: Issue 28, 1 July 2006:::Editorial

Land is Scarce, Conserve It!
After tsunami devastation revenue land has come under severe pressure. The
land area has shrunk as a result of ingression of sea in southern district
of Nicobar as also in south Andaman island of Andaman district.
Over ten thousand houses have to be built for the homeless tsunami survivors
in the two districts. Bulk of those houses would be built in Nicobar
district but a sizeable number is coming up in south Andamans too.
In addition the infrastructural facilities in Nicobar district have almost
been raised to ground. Almost all the offices have to be rebuilt along with
schools, dispensaries and power houses etc. The experience of last tsunami
demands that these structures be raised far from the seacoast to avoid
widespread damages suffered in December 2004. Nicobar district has highlands
few and far between. It aggravates the situation further.

Middle & North Andamans are going to have a new district. A whole set of
offices and residential quarters for government servants from group A to D
officers and officials would have to be constructed. Following closely on
the heels of a new district would be a new Zilla Parishad.
From all indications, Legislature Assembly is also round the corner.
Assembly House, ministers' bungalows and MLA's hostels would also have to
come up and that would demand a huge piece of land somewhere in the heart of
the Port Blair.
Those farmers of south Andaman who have lost their paddy fields are
demanding alternate land since there is no development either to recover the
submerged fields or to develop aquaculture.
All these activities are going to put tremendous pressure on land in all the
islands. Is there enough revenue land available for such activities? Even if
the reply is in the affirmative, we can't spend till the last square meter
to meet the present demand. Something has to be left for future too.
Similarly, now since Middle & North Andaman are going to have a new
district, opportunities there would improve tremendously. Those being
provided houses here don't belong to South Andamans. Some of the shelters
could have been provided at Rangat, Mayabunder or Diglipur, unless of
course, it is sinister design to pack them all in and around Port Blair.

The administration, it seems, did not care to assess the demand on land
vis-à-vis its availability while planning the reconstruction. The permanent
shelters are all single storey affairs. A lot of land could have been saved
if a double storey project was taken up.
Similarly, in outlying islands every single office is a separate single
storey building on a separate land.
A new beginning can bring new ideas too. Why can't we have a State
Government Offices Complex in Mayabunder, the new district headquarters? The
same goes for other places too where a new infrastructure has to be created.
It would bring in other dividends too. The presence of senior officers in
the same complex would have a salutary affect on small subordinate offices.
Secondly, as a matter of principle, the administration should stop
constructing single storey buildings to make optimum use of available land.

Land is precious; and scarce too. Let's conserve it.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*The Light of Andamans::: Issue 28, 1 July 2006*
**
*Loan Waiver - Partial Relief To Tsunami Victims*
By *Staff Reporter*

*Port Blair:* The Government of India have finally yielded to grant loan
waiver to the extent of borrowings up to Rs 2.00 lakh and interest waiver up
to Rs 5.00 lakh in case of tsunami victims who suffered losses to their
business/industry in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami of 2004.
The victims find it is too little too late. The decision was hanging fire
with the Ministry of Home Affairs for almost 18 months although the Finance
Ministry had agreed to extend the benefit at the time the proposal was
mooted. The issue was initially raised by the Andaman Chamber of Commerce
and Industry in right earnest. Mr. Manoranjan Bhakta, Member of Parliament
took it up with the respective ministries. But inspite of his persuasion,
the Home Ministry seemed reluctant to grant it.
But he kept on putting pressure. However, only as success has been achieved.
The relief is applicable only to those victims who have borrowed money from
financial institutions that is, through the nationalized banks. It is not is
not clear whether the borrowers of ANIIDCO would be benefited although it is
a State Financial Institution.
Apart from banks, departments like Industries, agriculture, and institutions
like Khadi & Village Industries Commission and
Municipality etc also extend credit for small business, shops etc. They are
not covered under the present scheme. The number of
borrowers in these cases is large though the loan amount involved is small.
These borrowers belong to the lowest strata of society and deserve more care
and understanding.

Speaking to the Light of Andamans Mr. Mr. Ashoke Kumar Sharma, Director of
Industries informed that the matter was raised by the Chamber and Mr.
Manoranjan Bhakta, Member of Parliament about bank borrowers hence only
their cases were taken up. Nobody mentioned about other borrowers. Mr.
Sharma also revealed that the financial institutions would bear one third of
the waived amount and the administration would make good two-thirds.

Mr. Mohammed H. Jadwet, President ACCI also regretted that the smaller
borrowers were left out. He also informed that the cases above Rs 5.00 lakh
were also under active consideration of the Ministry and a decision is
expected soon.
In the meantime, many borrowers had started repaying their instalments to
the banks, after waiting for the relief for a few
months, inspite of severe handicap, to avoid any penal action by the banks.

The banks are reluctant to grant the relief in the first place. It is to be
seen if the instalments repaid under duress would be
refunded.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear friends!

This report has been published in Andaman Herald daily
dated 28th June 06.


“Jarawa Tourism” Who’s The Main Culprit?
Tour Operators Make Use of ‘State Transport Service’
To Promote Jarawa Tourism

Port Blair, June 28: In spite of all hues and cries at
various levels, in order to stop treating the Jarawa
as a tourist attraction, ‘Jarawa Tourism’ in Andamans
continues to be the best selling package for the tour
operators. The issue has been raised many times by the
NGOs and the like minded people working to preserve
one of the last, endangered, ancient tribe living in
the Andaman Islands. But it appears that all voices
have fallen into deaf ears.

After weeks of investigation on the present status of
Jarawa Tourism, this paper is able to conclude that
‘it is none other than the Andaman Administration
which has been promoting the Jarawa tribe as a tourist
attraction’.

Responding to the pressure from the international
arena, the Andaman Administration issued a press
release which read, “Tour Operators Cautioned”. All
private tour operators were cautioned against
promoting Jarawa as tourist attraction in any form. To
add to it, restrictions were imposed on
private/tourist vehicles for same-day-return trips to
Middle Strait or to Baratang. Further, to misinform
that the Administration is concerned about the welfare
of the aboriginal tribe, notices were issued on “Do’s
& Don’ts while entering into the Jarawa reserve”. It’s
indeed an irony that the Andaman Administration while
imposing restrictions on private tour operators has
allowed them to hire Government vehicles for to
promote Jarawa Tourism.

If you are a tour operator and you wish to take your
customers to see the Jarawa, all you have to do is
hire a ‘State Transport Bus’ just by paying a
discounted fare of Rs. 5, 200.00. There are no
receipts and the name of the hirer will not be
recorded. Such trips are being registered as SPECIAL
TRIPS in the Department’s records. The special rate is
only for tour operators, which is quite low when
compared to the actual hiring rates fixed by the
Administration. This kind of tour has been in
operation since the past 18 months or even more on a
regular basis.

“We are not bothered about how many passengers travel
in the bus. All we are concerned is the revenue
collection”, said the Assistant Director Transport
Shri Biju Samuel while agreeing about the Special
Trips. “We do not maintain the record of the hirer. It
is up to the hirer to take as many passengers as he
can. All we do is charge the hirer for a trip up to
Kadamtala.”

The best part of hiring the Administration’s busses is
that one does not require seeking a permit for
entering into the Jarawa Reserve; neither does one
have to pay for the vehicle ferry that connects Middle
Strait and Baratang. And one can return on the same
day too!

Report: Deniis

=======


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com