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Port Blair, Aug. 17: While participating in a debate in the Lok Sahbha on 06/08/2010 the Member of Parliament Shri Bishnu Pada Ray said that in the name of Jarawa Protection, although the Jarawa area is being increased from time to time but the Jarawas still remain unprotected. During the year 1957, the declared Jarawa area was for 170077 Sq. Kms and during the year 2004 it has been reduced to 1028 Sq. Kms. As against 1250 Jarawa Population in the year 1888 today, their live population is the question before us.
Since the Jarawa area also consists of open sea it is a known fact that the Burmese poachers easily enter the Tribal Reserve and are killing the Jarawas who come in their way. There is no sufficient protection provided in these areas and in the name of Jarawa protection, the AAJVS staff have been posted with a meager salary of Rs.8,500/- since past 10 years. There are no vehicles provided to them to cover such a vast area and are made to pay from their pockets to patrol in the area using their personal motor bikes.
The new proposal of establishing ‘Buffer Zone’ along the Jarawa area will be the most disastrous proposal as more than 31 historically settled villages in North, South and Middle Andamans are to be badly affected, Ray said. Opposing the proposal the Member of Parliament told the House that population of about 12 Villages namely Tirur, Harbetabad, Collinpur, Temple Myo, Manpur, Caddle Gunj, Jirkatang, Mile Tilak, Kalatang, Wrafter Creak, Nilambul and Chainpur will have to be evicted in toto in case the Buffer Zone proposal is implemented.
He further pointed out that the penal settlement areas namely Cattlegunj, Aniket and Ferrargunj villages have also come under Jarawa area with the implementation of the ‘Buffer Zone’. Five Panchayats in the Baratang Islands under Rangat Tehsil where Chotta Nagpur tribals and East Bengal refugee were made to settle also fall under the Buffer Zone. Moreover 8 villages in the Panchayats viz. Kadamtala, Uthara, Kausalyanagar consisting of an area of 7113 Hectares have fallen under Buffer Zone and 6 villages in the Panchayats of Harinagar, Chainpur, Pahalgaon under Mayabunder Tehsil consisting 4073 Hacts is also affected with the implementation of the Buffer Zone.
The Member of Parliament therefore appealed for an immediate removal of the Buffer Zone proposal of the A&N Administration.
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