APPENDIX D
Heads of the A&N Administration
by George Weber
Various titles were used to designate the Head of the Andaman Administration (to which were later added the Nicobars). From 1858 until 1872 it was Superintendent of Port Blair, from 1872 until 1982 Chief Commissioner of the Andamans and Nicobars and since 1982 Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.. The Andamanese administration throughout the British period was directly answerable to the Government of India, except for 1864-1868 when they were placed under the Chief Commissioner of Burma.
In the late 1990s the Indian government considered upgrading the status of the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by granting more powers to local authorities while retaining its status of Union Territory. Such a measure should reduce somewhat the number of times that the eternal cry of the Andamans "this will be decided by New Delhi" will be heard in the islands. However, the area and number of its population is regarded as too small ever to become eligible for full statehood within the Union of India.
Most administrative heads of the island administration during British times had a military or naval background. Their function was that of head jailers of the penal colony but they were also responsible for the civil service and the welfare of the few free civilians as well as for the Andamanese aborigines.
British
|
H.S. Man (1) |
1858 |
1894-1903 |
|
|
1858-1859 |
W. R. H. Merk |
1904-1906 |
|
|
1859-1862 |
H. A. Browning |
1906-1913 |
|
|
1862-1864 |
M. W. Douglas |
1913-1920 |
|
|
1864-1868 |
H. C. Beadon |
1920-1923 |
|
|
H. Man (2) |
1868-1871 |
M. L. Ferrar |
1923-1931 |
|
F. L. Playfair |
1871-1872 |
J. W. Smyth |
1931-1935 |
|
D. M. Stewart |
1872-1875 |
W. A. Cosgrave |
1935-1938 |
|
C. A. Barwell |
1875-1878 |
C. E. Waterfall |
1938-(1942) |
|
1878-1892 |
(Japanese occupation) |
||
|
N. M. Horsford |
1892-1894 |
N. K. Patterson |
1945-1947 |
Indian
|
I. Majid |
1947-1949 |
T. S. Oberoi |
1985-1990 |
|
A. K. Ghosh |
1949-1953 |
R. S. Dyal |
1990-1993 |
|
S. N. Maitra |
1953-1956 |
V. Purushothaman |
1993-1996 |
|
C. Ramachandran |
1956 |
I. P. Gupta |
1996-2001 |
|
T. G. N. Iyyar |
1956-1958 |
N. N. Jha |
2001-2004 |
|
M. V. Rajawade |
1958-1961 |
R. G. Kapse |
2004-2006 |
|
B. N. Maheshwari |
1961-1965 |
Bhopinder Singh |
2006- |
|
B. L. Chak |
1965-1966 |
||
|
M. Singh |
1966-1968 |
||
|
H. S. Butalia |
1968-1972 |
||
|
H.Singh |
1972-1975 |
||
|
S. M. Krishnatry |
1975-1979 |
||
|
S. L. Sharma |
1979-1982 |
||
|
M. L. Kampani |
1982-1985 |
For more more detail of Andaman & Nicobar grandees see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lieutenant_Governors_of_the_Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands
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Last changed 1 September 2007