Complete unanimity among Islanders on fast pace of developments; LG outlines vision for future of the Islands

Port Blair, May 25: The Lt. Governor, A&N Islands, Lt. Gen A.K. Singh (Retd.) has made a fervent call to the Islanders to dedicate themselves for the development of the Islands as custodians of these beautiful Islands and work harmoniously, while adopting the schemes and programmes of the Government towards taking the Islands to greater heights. He was speaking at a function organized to mark the one year completion of the NDA Government at the Centre. Addressing the huge gathering of people from all walks of life, at the auditorium of DBRAIT here this morning, the Lt. Governor spoke about the achievements of the Government throughout the country in general and that of the A&N Administration in these Islands in particular, during this one year.    

   The Lt. Governor mentioned that with formation of NDA government under the dynamic leadership of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi a year ago, a wave of hope surfaced in the country. The Govt. too, leaving no stone unturned has taken the nation towards manifold developments within a year. “This  feeling of hope and optimism amongst people, is the greatest change. This air of dynamism in all spheres and all the Ministries of the Govt, has been felt in these Islands too”, said the Lt. Governor.

   The Lt. Governor hailed the Govt. for launching various people friendly welfare schemes countrywide. The people of A&N Islands are also largely benefiting from these schemes, he said making special reference to the  ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’. Other social security schemes viz. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana have also been received enthusiastically while the Atal Pension Yojana needs more awareness generation and motivation, said the Lt. Governor.

  The Lt. Governor mentioned that during the last one year, the country’s security has been strengthened. Following the oversea visits of our Prime Minister to our neighborhood countries, our relationships with various countries have improved. “Today many countries want to become a part of our development and prosperity. I am confident that in the next four years there will be great progress and development and our country will march forward with a more progressive attitude while the aspirations of our citizens will be met to a large extent”, the Lt. Governor said.

      Speaking about the improvement in the Health sector of the A&N Islands, the Lt. Governor mentioned about the establishment of the Medical College in the Islands, the approval for which has been obtained from the MCI while the permission from the Central govt. will also be obtained very soon. “By July or August, the first batch of Andaman Nicobar Medical College will get admission. This will immensely benefit the Islanders. Out of 100 seats of this Medical College, 70 seats will go to the Islands’ students. In another 10 years, A&N Islands will have 700 doctors, which will show good results for our economy and health services”, the Lt. Governor said adding that the A&N Administration plans to affiliate a Nursing college, one paramedical institute with this Medical College, besides a post graduate institute later on. The Lt. Governor also informed about the A&N Islands Scheme for Health Insurance (ANISHI) that provides for cashless treatment in selected hospitals at mainland, to people with an annual income of less than Rs.3 lakhs.

  Turning to the connectivity issue of the Islands, the Lt. Governor informed the gathering that during a recent meeting at the Ministry level, BSNL has been asked by the Govt to increase the bandwidth to 500 mbps by August which should be further increased to 1 gbps bandwidth by September/December.

    The Lt. Governor also mentioned about the project of undersea cable from Chennai to Port Blair and outer islands such as Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Little Andaman and Great Nicobar, for which 1600 crore rupees has been committed by the Central Govt.

      The Lt. Governor also spoke about the appointment of a study group under Lt. Gen. Gautam Banerjee (Retd) which will provide the Administration options/suggestions for 2020-2030, about what sort of development should take place in the A&N Islands in the coming decades.

    Referring to the potential of the Fisheries sector, the Lt. Governor mentioned that under the vision of the PM of blue revolution, the Administration shall try to bring a greater focus, right from catching fish, to preserving, packaging and marketing which will be established here in the Islands. In this direction, steps have already been initiated, he said expressing confidence that in the coming years Andaman will become a leading fish centre in our country.

   Regarding tourism, the Lt. Governor mentioned that during the last one year a lot of development in the sector has been made viz. renovation of Dolpin Resort at Havelock, introduction of Flea Market, Monsoon Festival etc. which have attracted tourists and approximately 3 lakh tourists are visiting the islands which is expected to rise to 5 lakhs in the coming years.

  “However to improve tourism in A&N Islands we have to improve the infrastructure. Development of Neil, Long Island, Little Andaman, Diglipur and various other places are also in focus for this. Our aim is to make Andaman an all season tourist destination”, said the Lt. Governor.

  The Lt Governor stressed on focusing on skill development and entrepreneurial spirit in the Islands to solve the challenge of unemployment “Once mainland to islands undersea cable is set, our communication problems will be solved and the IT Industry will flourish in the Islands, making it a major hub of IT industries”, he said.

   The Lt. Governor also shared with the gathering his vision to shift the focus from the sea route to air connectivity. “It will be really a great achievement if we can see people traveling to mainland by air with the same money that they are spending on ship journey”, he said.  

    The Lt. Governor also underlined the need for making the islands 100% green as no other place in the world has such a beautiful environment. “It is our responsibility to preserve it for the future generation and therefore we will create harmony between environment and development. Under the vision of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and with the constant support of the Central Govt we shall surely be able to take the Islands forward”, said the Lt. Governor.

   About Disaster Management in Isles, the Lt. Governor stated that today, the A&N Administration is well prepared to tackle any natural disaster. Directions have been issued wherein the Deputy Commissioners will provide relief to victims of any disaster within 30 days while interim relief must also be made available in case of complications. 

  The Lt. Governor also mentioned that the goodwill of the Islands – ‘Sadbhavana’, must be maintained at all costs. “The uniqueness of our Isles lies in its harmonious blend of people from multi-religion, multi-linguistic and multi-regional backgrounds and we are privileged to be a part of this culture”, said the Lt. Governor. He also emphasized the need for creating awareness about the Islands on the mainland. “The soul of our struggle for independence lies in A&N Islands. It is not only a place of tourism but also a place pilgrimage”, said the Lt. Governor.

    The Lt. Governor, in his emotional concluding remarks, thanked the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership and support to the islands, the Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh for his constant guidance and support and to all the other Ministries who took the initiative in helping Andaman progress. He also thanked our Member of Parliament, the State President of BJP, the PRIs, political parties and all officers and officials of Andaman and Nicobar Administration, who have put in their best to create this environment of hope and progress in the last one year besides the citizens of A&N Islands for their support in carrying out the developmental works in the Islands.

  On this joyous occasion, the Lt. Governor also made some announcements that were received with great applause from the gathering. These include availability of free Wi-Fi in the Marina Park area and around the 41 schools of the Islands that have internet facilities, with effect from August 15, 2015.

   The Lt. Governor also announced that under the old age pension scheme under Social Welfare Department, the eligibility ceiling for availing this benefit has been raised from an income of Rs.1000/- to Rs.4000/- per month. The A&N Islands provides Rs.2000/- per month to the beneficiaries under this scheme, which is highest in the country, said the Lt. Governor. He also announced that to provide a dignified life to very senior citizens (80 years and above), their monthly pensions by the Social Welfare Department will be enhanced from the present Rs.2000/- to Rs.3000/- from July 1 onwards. However, he asked the Department to remove any bogus claims under the scheme.

   The Lt. Governor also announced that under the Central Govt. scheme for slum improvement, the first pilot project of slum development and re-habilitation will be launched at Dairy Farm. The other 26 slum will also be brought under the scheme in a phased manner, the Lt. Governor said. All these announcements were made following the request of the State BJP President, Shri Vishal Jolly.

  The Lt. Governor also informed that the Administration has approached the Agriculture Ministry for waiving the loan taken by the marginal farmers of the Islands many decades ago from the Agriculture Department.

 Simultaneously, the Lt. Governor also called upon the financially sound people of the Islands to follow the path shown by the Prime Minister and give up their LPG subsidy. Taking the lead, the Lt. Governor declared to give up his own LPG subsidy on the spot.

 The Lt. Governor also released a booklet prepared by the Administration depicting the major achievements of the A&N Administration during the last one year. Earlier, a documentary highlighting the achievements of the Administration was also screened in the auditorium.

   Speaking on the occasion, the State BJP President, Shri Vishal Jolly complemented the Andaman and Nicobar Administration on its achievements during the past one year. He also spoke on the various schemes launched by the Government, such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the implementation of which, he said, is the responsibility of every individual. He mentioned about the success of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme here in Islands and lauded the support of the Administration, Banks & the PRIs. Mentioning about the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana, he said, these schemes will benefit the people to a large extent and the APY scheme, which is meant for the unorganised sector workers, is indeed a thoughtful scheme launched by our Prime Minister.

  With the upcoming Medical College, many students from the Islands will see their dreams transform into reality, he said. Regarding water supply problem in Bambooflat area, he lauded the PWD officials, for their tireless efforts in the construction of Kamsarat Nallah Dam, while the raising of the height of the Dhanikhari Dam will solve the water problem for another 20 years in Port Blair, he added. He urged the masses to help make all the schemes of the Govt. reach the people at the grassroots level. Keeping in mind the connectivity issue, Shri Jolly appealed to the Administration to introduce free Wi-fi for the Islanders, revamping of slums on pilot project basis, raising of the widow, old age and destitute pension from Rs1000 to Rs. 4000. He also appealed to all the officers of the Administration, to be more empathetic towards people approaching them for various works. The speech of the BJP President was received with great applause by the people present.

    In his welcome address, the Chief Secretary A&N Administration, Shri Anand Prakash expressed happiness on the glorious one year completion of the NDA government at the centre, under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Lt. Governor, Lt. General A.K.Singh (Retd),under whose capable leadership, the Islands are marching forward, the support and guidance of the Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, State BJP President, Shri Vishal Jolly, PRIs and the Administration for their tireless efforts, in achieving the milestones set.

   These Islands have embarked on the path of development, with a singular focus to develop the Islands to its full potential through good governance has been achieved, he said. He also lauded the various schemes launched by the Prime Minister such as Swachh Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padao, which have been well received by the people of these Islands and highlighted the notable achievements of the Administration for the past one year.

   The Chairperson, PBMC, Chairpersons of both the Zilla Parishads, Chairperson, SSWB, Smt. Rupa Ray, leaders from different political parties, senior officers of the Administration, prominent senior citizens of the Islands besides people in large number attended this glorious function.