Congress reiterates demand for setting up of Assembly in Andaman

Port Blair, Dec 29 (UNI) The Andaman unit of the Congress today reiterated its demand for setting up an Assembly in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Talking to mediapersons here, Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC) president Kuldeep Rai Sharma said a party delegation met President Pratibha Patil yesterday at Port Blair and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

In the memorandum, the party stated that the people of the islands had been demanding for full-fledged democratic rights similar to those being enjoyed by the people in other states of the country.

''The Centre is providing financial assistance for the development of the islands. However, all the decisions are taken by only a few people and the islanders do not have any say in the matter,'' Mr Sharma said.

He added that the All India Congress Committee, in its manifesto released at the time of the last Lok Sabha elections, had mentioned about granting Legislative Assembly status to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

''We are confident that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre will definitely fulfill its commitment as promised in the manifesto,'' the ANTCC president added.

The delegation demanded immediate enactment of an appropriate committee to constitute a Legislative Assembly with the Council of Ministers for the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Earlier, the ANTCC cordially extended warm welcome to the President, who was on a three-day visit to the islands.

UNI