Port Blair, September 05: The Lt Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) A K Singh PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, visited Hut Bay and held a meeting with Govt officials and PRI members at APWD guest house. At the meeting, Pradhans of various Panchayat raised issues such as issuance of Islander Cards to left out cases, repair of tsunami shelters, allotment of house sites, construction of roads to Farm Tikery and permission for extraction of minerals etc. He issued directions that construction of road to Farm Tikery should be taken up by APWD as a onetime measure and then handed over to the Panchayats.
The Lt Governor suggested that PRI members should consider proposals such as development of playground in schools and such other works that can be taken up under the MNREGA scheme. Absence of specialist Doctors, lack of ultrasound facilities at local PHCs were also raised by the PRI members. The Lt Governor directed that the Director of Health Services (DHS) should look into these issue and also organise health camps for the benefit of the patients there.
On the tourism front, the Lt Governor directed the Tourism Department to hold a conference at Hut Bay inviting all stake holders, and discuss all proposals relating to tourism development. He advised PRI members to formulate their proposals and discuss them at the conference. Thereafter, he visited the Riflex Coconut factory to see the process of producing desiccated coconut powder and oil extraction. He also visited the water falls, Kala Pathar beach and Butler Bay beach.
At the end, he met people of Nicobari settlement at Harminder Bay. The Tribal Captain apprised the Lt Governor of their problems such as absence of BSNL network, repair of street lights, construction of market, construction of additional classrooms at the Govt. SS School, construction of retention wall, and provision of drinking water. The Lt Governor issued directions to officers of the concerned Departments to look at these issues and resolve them as soon as possible.
The Chief Secretary, Shri Anand Prakash, Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, Smt Abala Sammaddar, Commissioner-cum Secretary (APWD), Smt Punya Srivastava and Secretary to LG, Shri S.N. Misra accompanied the Lt Governor during this tour.
