Ignoring local protests, Rs 806 crore tourism project cleared in Lakshadweep

Kochi: The Central Government has cleared a Rs 806-crore beach tourism project involving corporate groups on three islands in Lakshadweep. The project, to be implemented by NITI-Aayog and Lakshadweep administration at Kadamat, Minicoy and Suheli islands, was discussed at a meeting chaired by the Union Finance Secretary.

75-year lease

Focusing on beach tourism and water sports, the project is based on the Maldives model and would have a total of 370 villas at the three island resorts. Corporates groups would be given the land on a 75-year lease and the resorts built with public-private participation.

Incidentally, the Centre is going ahead with the resort project even amid mounting local protests in Lakshadweep against the administrator’s controversial moves to turn the islands into a tourism destination.

Land identified

Meanwhile, the Centre has already identified land on each of the three islands to build the resorts. While 5.55 hectares are earmarked for the water villas at Kadamat, 3.82 hectares have being identified at Suheli and 8.53 hectares at two locations on Minicoy. At Kadamat, the new venture would come up near an existing resort.

According to the terms and conditions of the project, the corporate groups should open the resorts within three years of signing the contract. Initially, the Centre had invited bids for the project in October, 2019 but there was poor response. While only four firms expressed interest in Suheli, three corporates enquired about Kadamat and a mere two regarding Minicoy. On checking the communications from the corporates, the Centre found that only two firms each met the criteria for Kadamat and Suheli and none for Minicoy. Subsequently, the government eased some tender conditions.

Protests intensified

At the same, residents of Lakshadweep have decided to stage a protest against another strange order of the administration. They have planned a ‘coconut frond’ stir at their houses from 9-10 am on Monday to oppose the new order issued by the administration imposing heavy fines on people stacking coconut fronds on their premises.

The residents, demanding waste treatment facilities, would organize the stir on all islands simultaneously.

In yet another move against the administration, the ‘Save Lakshadweep Forum’ has written a letter to the administrator’s advisor that an affidavit filed by the Lakshadweep Collector before the High Court that the local people were facing no problems from the COVID-19 pandemic or poverty was false.