Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Andaman and Nicobar Islands State President Anil Kumar Tiwari on 8 January outlined key civic and policy issues concerning the Islands that were formally raised before Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah during his recent visit to the Union Territory.
Addressing the media, Tiwari said that while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have seen unprecedented Central government investments over the past decade, several critical challenges affecting daily life and long-term development remain unresolved. These concerns, he added, were detailed in a formal proposal submitted to the Union Home Minister, highlighting issues requiring urgent attention in the larger public interest.
According to Tiwari, the proposal notes that developmental and infrastructure projects worth several crore rupees have been sanctioned and implemented over the past ten years, marking a scale of investment described as historic. The document contrasts this with the previous five decades of governance under the Congress, during which such focused attention and financial commitment were largely absent.
During the press briefing, Tiwari said he had discussed three major agenda points with the Home Minister. The first focuses on mitigating long-pending power generation and supply issues across the Islands. The proposal highlights a widening gap between the electricity generation capacity of the Andaman and Nicobar Electricity Department and the growing demand across inhabited Islands. Despite interim measures initiated by the Administration, uninterrupted power supply has not been achieved, causing inconvenience to residents and affecting key sectors like tourism, which forms a significant part of the Islands’ economy.
To address this, the proposal recommends the immediate execution of a 60 MW LNG-based power plant at Bambooflat, with responsibility shared between the Administration and Central agencies. Until this facility becomes operational, it suggests procuring a diesel-operated plant of at least 30 MW capacity to temporarily bridge the power deficit and provide relief to households and businesses across the Islands.
Tiwari added a direct update on water infrastructure: “We have proposed to build an additional dam under the Dhanikhari Dam, which will cost only around ₹20–25 crore. Today, because the dam is heavily silted, even one month of rain causes water to overflow and flow into the sea. I personally told Amit Shah about this,” he said.
The second agenda point emphasizes the urgent need for reliable drinking water supply. According to the proposal, water is currently supplied on alternate days, and during the summer months, some residents receive drinking water only once a week. While rainfall is abundant during the monsoon, much of the excess water is lost due to inadequate storage infrastructure.
To resolve this, the proposal recommends constructing a check dam adjacent to the existing Dhanikhari Dam to store surplus rainwater and facilitate desilting of the main dam during the dry season to improve storage capacity. It also suggests exploring rainwater harvesting and storage solutions across other populated Islands. Furthermore, it proposes creating a dedicated Water Management Board to manage drinking water requirements for present and future needs, citing the overburdened APWD division currently responsible for water management.
The third agenda point seeks the implementation of a domicile-based job reservation policy for the Islands, similar to provisions recently adopted in Ladakh. Citing Article 16 of the Constitution, the proposal urges the framing of statutory provisions to define “Local” status, establish a domicile certificate issuance process, and provide reservation or preference in public employment, particularly for Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ posts. The policy aims to safeguard local employment rights, considering the limited educational opportunities, geographic constraints, and high cost of living faced by residents.
Tiwari also addressed speculation surrounding Amit Shah’s frequent visits over the past 20 days, clarifying that the first visit was for the inauguration of the Veer Savarkar statue, and the second was for a parliamentary committee meeting that included opposition members.
He added that discussions were backed by on-ground insights, including consultations with retired officials and local experts, ensuring that the proposals are grounded in practical experience. Tiwari reiterated that the BJP remains committed to development-focused governance in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and will continue raising issues with the Central government to ensure the benefits of development reach all residents.
