Sharad Pawar seeks PM's intervention in Lakshadweep; advocates removal of Administrator

Seeking PM Modi's intervention in Lakshadweep, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded the appointment of a new Administrator in place of Praful Khoda Patel. In a letter addressed to the PM, he conveyed the serious concerns raised by NCP Lakshadweep MP PP Mohammed Faizal regarding the policy decisions taken by Patel. Highlighting that protests are taking place already, he opined that some of the steps might lead to the destruction of traditional means of livelihood and the unique culture of the Union Territory. Seeking the withdrawal of the "unreasonable" orders, Pawar stressed the need to have a holistic approach to work with the native people. 

Here are the concerns raised by Pawar:

• Easing stringent Standard Operating Procedure for COVID-19 control led to a rise in COVID-19 cases to the extent that Lakshadweep has the highest test positivity rate
• The Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act has been notified by the administration which paves the way for preventive detention in a place that records the least number of crimes
• Unemployment has increased manifold after hundreds of people working for the government including 200 marine protection watchers, over 193 contract employees of the Tourism department, and over 190 employees of other departments have been laid off
• Lifting the longstanding ban on alcohol consumption ignores the sociocultural context of the area in the guise of promoting tourism and individual freedom
• The draft Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation seeking to ban the slaughter, transportation, buying and selling of beef products infringes the right of the locals to adequate means of livelihood
• New amendments consist of "unconstitutional rules" such as barring people with two children to contest polls or work in Panchayats
• The administration is not ready to give the Pandaram lands to those who are eligible and are instead trying to enlist them as government lands
• The Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation draft paves way for unsustainable development by allowing mining, construction of big roads, power to interfere with the ownership right of islanders' properties, and to take back land used by the ST community with or without giving any compensation
• The closure of the Lakshadweep Building Development Board will leave the homeless in distress
• Dairy farms are being shut to bring in private players and make the locals jobless
• The destruction of fishing sheds and tools of local fishermen under the Coast Guard policy without giving them any notice plunges them into poverty
• The administration's plan to hand over the passenger ships to private enterprises and the denial of scholarships to students studying in the mainland