ANIIDCO (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure)

Context: The qualifications of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation are under scrutiny following its approval for a ₹72,000 crore mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar. 

ANIIDCO

• About: It is the project proponent for the NITI Aayog-promoted mega infrastructure project in Great Nicobar, the southernmost island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
• Development: The project includes the construction of a trans-shipment port, a greenfield airport, a tourism and township project, and a solar and gas-based power plant.
• Permissions and Authority: ANIIDCO is a lesser-known quasi-government agency based in Port Blair, which has been granted permission for the major project.
• Establishment: Incorporated on June 28, 1988, under the Companies Act, with the goal of balanced and environmentally friendly development.
• Core Activities: ANIIDCO trades petroleum products, Indian-made foreign liquor, and milk.

oIt manages tourism resorts and infrastructure development related to tourism and fisheries.

• Island Characteristics: The 910 sq km island is a biodiversity hotspot, home to indigenous communities with special rights, and situated in a tectonically active zone.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Location: Southeastern edge of the Bay of Bengal.
• Structure: Two groups—Andaman Islands to the north and Nicobar Islands to the south.
• Length: Stretches approximately 1,000 km.
• Great Andaman and Nicobar Groups:

oSeparation: The Ten Degree Channel divides the Great Andaman group from the Nicobar group.

oGreat Nicobar: Largest island of the Nicobar group, located closest to Sumatra, Indonesia.