The administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is seeking to acquire Bitra Island for defence purposes. It is one of the inhabited islands in the archipelago, with over 100 people residing there, as per media reports.
A recent government notification proposed that the Department of Revenue take over the entire land area of Bitra to facilitate its transfer to central defence and strategic agencies.
The notification, issued last week, clarified that the initiative is driven by the strategic location of the island, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges posed by the civilian habitation. The territorial administration would take over the island as per the relevant provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, for which a Social Impact Assessment study has to be undertaken for the affected area.
District Collector Shivam Chandra, in the order, stated that all stakeholders, including gram sabhas, would be consulted as part of the Social Impact Assessment process. It further stated that within two months of the notification's publication on 11 July, the survey of the proposed acquisition area would be finished.
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