Port Blair, May 18: The Lt Governor, Lt Gen A K Singh (Retd), met the Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, MoS, PMO, Atomic Energy and Space and MoS for Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh at New Delhi on 17.05.2015.
He discussed a wide range of issues relating to A&N Islands. The Minister informed the Lt Governor that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attaches high priority to the development of the peripheral regions, including the A&N Islands. He said the A&N Islands holds a special historic as well as emotional attachment for the people of the country because of this is the place where Sawarakarji, the great nationalist ideologue, spent about 10 years in solitary confinement in the Cellular Jail.
The national monument brought up at that place should indeed be projected as a place of pilgrimage by every patriotic Indian, he added. Dr. Jitendra Singh said inspite of its population of just about 4 lakh, 94 % of its territory under forest cover and coast line extending up to more than 1900 kms, A&N Islands hold an important strategic place for the country in the Bay of Bengal and could be developed as an Exclusive Economic Zone in the region. Increasing the avenues of connectivity, both through air route as well as sea route, has been the focus during the last one year, with the consideration that it is an important prerequisite for the development of the area, he added. Among the various highlights and recent landmark achievements, Lt Governor referred to the establishment of Medical College at Port Blair which had been pending for several decades and informed the Minister that the first batch of 1st year of MBBS will commence its session from July this year. There were several hurdles including lack of faculty which have been overcome through a series of visionary steps during the last one year.
Another remarkable achievements referred to by the Lt Governor was in relation to the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, in which 100 % households have been covered with cent-percent targets.
Similarly, Govt of India’s “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” was launched in the A&N Islands on 1st February this year and it is a matter of pride that not a single girl child is not out of school in the A&N Islands, he informed.
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