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| | A clutch of international developers has shown interest in developing island clusters in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as resorts along the lines of the Maldives.
American and British firms have sent proposals to the government to consider leasing out islands to tap the unexploited tourism potential in the Bay of Bengal.
However, keeping security imperatives in mind, the government is treading cautiously and maintaining a safe distance from foreign firms despite some lucrative proposals. Air Marshal PP Rajkumar, commander-in-chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), told Hindustan Times that the UT administration had apprised the tri-services command of a slew of proposals from foreign developers.
He was bullish about the tourism prospects but cautioned that security of this strategic maritime zone caressing world's busiest sea-lanes should not be compromised. "Such a model would generate substantial revenue and jobs for the local population. But security overrides everything else," he added. A senior government official told HT that an American firm had made a proposal to develop a cluster of Andaman Islands at an investment of $500 million. The post-tsunami tourism boom has seen 69 foreign yachts visit the Andaman and Nicobar shores this year until March compared to last year's arrival of 62 yachts. After a tour of Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar on Sunday, Defence Minister AK Antony told HT that the islands could be developed as a "mini-Singapore" but citing security concerns, he added that Indian companies should execute such projects and involve the participation of tribals. Sharing the same concerns, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt said that international assistance for developing tourism was dispensable as there was enough expertise within the country. The Car Nicobar administration is toying with the idea of 'day tourism' to draw travellers to this 54 sq km landmass that cannot be accessed by outsiders without a pass issued by the tribal council. Deputy Commissioner Ankita Mishra said the Nicobarese tribe of Burmese origin would form an integral part of this tourism model which would allow them to propagate their culture and way of life. All of the 22 Nicobar Islands have been declared as tribal reserve under the Andaman and Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribe) Regulation Act of 1956. A senior Army officer said unchecked growth in tourism could prove to be a security disaster in this strategic maritime zone. Since security remains a function of the armed forces, such a move would require allocation of more resources to the ANC, he added. Email author: rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com |
