Sri Vijayapuram, May 4: The South Andaman District Administration has ordered the restoration of 493 hectares of government land previously held by Andaman Plantations concluding a 15-year legal dispute over land parcels in North Bay, Minnie Bay, Mithakhadi, and Bamboo Flat.
The restoration order, issued on Saturday, directs the Tehsildars of Port Blair, Sri Vijayapuram, and Ferrargunj to update revenue records to reflect the land’s return to government ownership.
Andaman Plantations incorporated in 1959 is a private sector company and is registered in Kolkata. It is involved in forestry and related activities. Its board and shareholders include several prominent local and mainland based businessmen and influential individuals.
Officials said the land recovery effort had been ongoing across multiple judicial forums and was based on the administration’s position that the land had been granted under terms no longer valid. “The order ensures that land earlier under private occupation is now correctly recorded in the government’s revenue account,” a district official said.
The administration has indicated that similar reviews of land holdings may continue in other areas.
Separately, the District Administration in South Andaman is also continuing a series of anti-encroachment drives aimed at reclaiming illegally occupied government land. These campaigns involve the removal of unauthorised structures across various regions, including huts and permanent buildings constructed on public property. In one such drive, officials reclaimed over 14,700 square meters of land, as per a recent official update. The administration has issued warnings against further encroachment and urged residents to report such violations. According to local media reports,, public complaints are being actively encouraged and reviewed as part of the enforcement strategy.
