MAIL BOX

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 35 | ISSUE 21 | 9 DEC 2011

MAIL BOX

Intelligent Interaction

It is really excellent and wonderful that the Chief Secretary himself interacted with the students. I can imagine from the nature of question posed by students that now students of Andamans are fully exposed to the day to day problems of the world. I liked the comments of CS wherein he has described as to how Port Blair was, three decades back. Regarding the brain-drain question, what the CS said is correct. I was perhaps the first boy to qualify any of the UPSC's competitive examination in 1983 and join Central Secretariat Service. We have now an IAS officer from Andamans too. There are still few more in senior position in Delhi. A&N Administration can always requisition services of those officers who are willing. On our part wherever we get a chance to deal any case of Andamans, we always do it in a positive manner because we are from there.

Dr.Vincent Barla

Abolish Octroi

Many Governments have abolished Octroi in Municipal Councils since the ongoing tussle between the industries and the municipal corporations states in India have either done away with or are into the stages of phasing out Octroi.

 It seems to echo the thought that Octroi must be abolished due to its various ill effects including the final distribution price. It is thus imperative to find alternative sources for funding the municipalities. The Octroi system, it is often termed to be 'obnoxious' 'vexatious' 'wasteful' and 'distorting'. The abolition of Octroi will not only help to attain economies on logistics and warehousing but will also make it a unified market. Octroi should be eliminated in phases.

Abolition of Octroi might result in some initial losses; it will be beneficial in the long run. These will not only ease inter state trade and generate more revenue but also impart some degree of uniformity to the tax system. Octroi will further burden the poor people, and make a deep hole in their pockets, as the cost of living in Andaman is too high, with double digit inflation and due to transportation of commodities from mainland like sugar, edible oil, soaps, plastic goods, leather, textiles and ferrous metals. There is apprehension among traders that unscrupulous elements will import cheap quality goods. The city will suffer as consumers will get poor quality commodities. Port Blair Municipal Council should impose tax only for petroleum products, tobacco, liquor and vehicles and should exempt Octroi for other products, PBMC should amend the regulation, I feel the Andaman chamber of commerce and the MP should take up the matter in the interest of the islanders and abolish Octroi. Even the Prime Minister of India has asked to abolish Octroi in the recent past. Some of the alternative sources which can be looked at in order to raise revenues for the municipalities include: Issuance of Municipal Bonds, Creation of a Municipal Development Fund, Tax on Vacant Land, Imposition of Pollution Tax.

Dr. Dinesh

Golghar, Port Blair

Farmers Duped

KVK-CARI is really doing for the skill up gradation of Islander farmers, but at the same time it was observed that agriculture department perception is not based on the facts. During Tsunami rehabilitation program, I had observed that the farmers who had no need for power tillers they got the power tiller.  In some places the Agriculture Department just dumped the organic manure without taking farmers into confidence. The efforts of Government regarding agriculture development will be futile if farmers are not placed in the center of the planning.

Sharad Pant