Port Blair, Sept. 20: The Govt. of India has given its approval to provide livestock compensation in cash to all the tsunami affected farmers of the Islands. Until now, farmers, who had lost their livestock during the tsunami, were provided compensation in the form of fixed deposits with a maturity of 10 years expiring in 2020. With the approval coming from the Govt of India, immediate encashment of all fixed deposits will be done and cash amount will be released to all the beneficiaries who lost their livestock.

The matter was also taken up in the IDA meeting held on 15th June 2011, under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. An amount of Rs 25.70 crores was sanctioned by the Govt of India as relief package under Animal Husbandry Sector for tsunami affected farmers of the Islands with the condition to place the amount in fixed deposit in the name of the recipients for a period of 10 years. Accordingly, an amount of Rs 21.08 crores, out of the total amount of Rs 25.70 crores was placed in fixed deposit in various banks in respect of 5,574 beneficiaries. The Lt. Governor, A & N Islands, Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM had taken up the matter personally with the Union Home Minister to accord clearance for immediate disbursement of the amount without waiting for the FDs to mature.