Port Blair, Dec. 17: The Lt. Governor, A&N Islands, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi accompanied by the First Lady, Smt. Prem Mukhi and along with Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, Shri Udit Prakash Rai visited Neil Island yesterday.
He was received and accorded a warm welcomed by Pradhan, Neil Island, Shri R.K. Biswas, Zilla Parishad Member, Neil Island, Shri Dasrath Verma, other PRI members and Govt. Officials.
Thereafter, the Lt. Governor first made a visit cum inspection of PHC Neil and took a round of the Hospital. He inspected the Male & Female wards and interacted with the patients and enquired about their health. Medical Officer In-charge, Dr. Sandhya & Dr. Huma Iqbal (Ayurvedic) briefed the issues and problems to the Lt. Governor.
The Lt Governor assured that the demands of additional Doctor, renovation/construction needed in the Hospital, enhancement of facility etc shall be taken up on priority basis.
The Lt. Governor also inspected Govt Senior Secondary School Neil, met with Principal, Shri Jacob Kutty and other School Staffs. He also interacted with school students and wished them good luck for the upcoming exams. He directed the Principal and SE, APWD to remove debris of old building and develop playground for the students. He also advised that the design of the upcoming classrooms be modified in such a manner so that it can be used as Multipurpose hall.
The Lt. Governor also visited the Organic Farm developed by progressive farmers Shri Praful Bawali and his two sons Shri Krishna Bawali & Shri Ashim Bawali. The farmers showed various modern techniques being employed by them for achieving 100% Organic produce.
Later, the Lt. Governor held meetings with PRI Members, Govt. Official & General Public at Hawa Bill Guest House. Various issues like widening of road from Jetty to Sitapur Village, construction of road to Burial Ground, Ramnagar, installation of modern water supply system to all villages of Neil, opening up of Petrol Bunk, starting of Forest Depot, etc. were raised during the meeting. The Lt. Governor assured all present that the needful action shall be taken immediately on all genuine demands raised by the Neil Islanders.
The Pradhan, Neil Island, requested the Lt. Governor for becoming the chief guest of 25th Vivekananda Mela in January 2017. The Lt. Governor accepted the invitation and told PRI that he will be delighted to participate in the mela.
The Lt. Governor also informed all present about some initiatives taken by the Administration on this occasion.
He stated that he is much aware of the demands of the public of Neil Islands for making Neil Island a liquor free place. He mentioned that to counter the problem of alcoholism in Islands, he has already constituted a separate Directorate of Prohibition which has been mandated to mobilise society & general public not to indulge into alcoholism, through various persuasion methods like nukkad nattak, symposium, etc.
The Lt Governor also informed that the excise duty on liquor are going to be increased so that liquor rates in the Islands are high as compare to Delhi & Chennai.
He further informed about various initiatives like deduction of bar timing /Govt Wine shop, limitation on purchase & storage of liquor, increase in Dry Days from existing three days to Sixteen days in a year.
The Lt. Governor, sharing his vision of making A&N Islands totally Organic in coming years, emphasised that as a first step, Neil Island shall be declared Organic very shortly.
Once declared Organic, all the chemical /inorganic /pesticides inputs shall be banned from entry into Neil islands. Directorate of Agriculture shall certify the organic products as “Neil Organic” and it will be marketed as 100% organic product of Neil. This shall enable the farmers to fetch atleast 20-50% more price of the agriculture product then what they are getting now, he said. The Lt Governor also assured the farmers that the “Neil Organic” products shall capture the market and will bring more prosperity to the family of Farmers. This would also act as an impetus to other Islands to go for 100% organic, he said.
About improving the health care facility of GB Pant Hospital, the Lt. Governor informed that Super Speciality Services with modern latest equipments /techniques are going to start at GB Pant Hospital very shortly. He declared that he will inaugurate Cath Lab with the facility of Open Heart Surgery, Angioplasty, Angiography, etc on 1st June 2017.
Thereafter no Islanders shall be referred to mainland for Heart Ailments. Simultaneously, modular Orthopaedic OT shall also start functioning here. The Lt Governor also announced that from 1st January 2018, Neurology Department shall also be coming up in GB Pant Hospital here.
