Sunday, March 26 2006 10:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and the administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands on allegations that the survivors of the December 2004 tsunami have not received the relief package announced by authorities to rehabilitate the worst-hit victims of the calamity.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice C K Thakker sought reply within four weeks from the Ministry of Home, Ministry of Finance, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands authorities on the issues raised in a petition.

The Centre had approved a package of Rs 3,453 crores for four years assuming that Rs 30 crore was needed for the supply of free rations every year.

The petition filed by Kranti, a law graduate and five other residents of the Island, challenged the order of the Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court at Port Blair disposing of the petition with the observation that the writ petition was not based on proper material.

The High Court had said the writ petition did not lead to the real issues and it was filed without proper research work needed for bringing to the notice of the court the specific grievances of the tsunami victims as a class.

Kranti, who hails from Port Blair and claimed to have worked for the rights of tsunami victims since May 2005, submitted that "even one year after the tsunami he found that there were hundreds of families without temporary shelters."

Survey done by administration

The petition said the survey done by the administration on the loss of life and property appears to have been done in haste and "it is of utmost urgency that a consolidated database be prepared in a transparent and verifiable manner in consultation with tribal chiefs of the islands."

Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves and Puja Sharma, appearing for the petitioners alleged that compensation payable in accordance with the rehabilitation package was not yet paid to many persons.

The petitioners have demanded that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) be asked to look into how the money available for the tsunami survivors in the Andaman and Nicobar Island was being utilised.

Besides, they have sought setting up an independent committee to look into the grievances of the survivors and continous supply of free rations which was extended till March 2006 only after the petition was filed in the High Court.

The petitioner contended that the relief package was not reaching to the affected people as the administration neither had a short term nor a long term rehabilitation policy.

He submitted that the High Court did not appreciate the fact the petition was filed after conducting extensive study about survivors of the calamity on travelling with 10 other members to Little Andaman, Great Nicobar, the Noncowry Group of Islands including Kamorta, Katchall, Trinket, Teressa, Car Nicobar and also South Andamans.

The petition claimed that safe drinking water was not available in many of the islands due to the contamination of the wells during the tsunami.