Port Blair, Sept 27: The slum area of Port Blair’s Dairy Farm region has finally got attention of authorities and soon the place might witness development under slum development programme of Government.
The Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) A K Singh has said that under the welfare programmes of Govt of India, slum development programme has been adopted by the A&N Administration and Dairy Farm village has been selected for development under this scheme.
“The Detail Project report is ready and the development work will start shortly, apart from Dairy Farm there are other areas which need improvement,” the Lt. Governor Andaman and Nicobar Islands said recently.
A considerable portion of the Dairy Farm area of Port Blair city is inhabited by the fishermen community, hailing from Andhra Pradesh and because of lack of proper supervision from the side of Port Blair Municipal Council the area has developed a massive slum.
Other than Dairy Farm, the Haddo area of Port Blair city has got a huge slum area, leading to various civic problems.
The Lt Governor, Lt Gen AK Singh(Retd) said this while inaugurating the State Level cleanliness campaign and administered the Swatchta Pledge at a function organized by the PBMC at Netaji Club on 25th September.
Addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor said that ‘Swatch Bharath Abhiyan’ is a good mission launched by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi which the people of these Islands have wholeheartedly accepted and supported. The impact of the ‘Swatch Bharath Abhiyan’ is very much visible here. This is evident from the fact that in the all India level competition conducted by ‘India Today’, a reputed National magazine, Port Blair has been declared as the ‘Cleanest Beach Town’ of the Country, the LG said.
Expressing his displeasure over the practice of dumping garbage and wastes in drains, particularly the drain near JNRM, the Lt Governor urged the people residing near the drain area to refrain from such practice. He also directed the PBMC to provide adequate number of dustbins in that locality for the use of the residents. He also appealed to the school and college students, officials and employees of Govt. departments, NGOs, cultural organizations, ACCI to contribute their mite to make these islands spick and span.
Referring to the initiative taken by the ACCI in renovating toilet blocks for GSSS School Line as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Lt Governor observed that Banks and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) should also come forward to take up such exemplary initiatives in other schools and educational institutions.
On the issue of drinking water problem, the Lt Governor stated the Port Blair Municipal Council must develop a better transmission network by improving the water supply pipelines. He directed the Council to prepare a detail plan and assured the support of the Administration in this regard. On the need for taking governance at the doorsteps of people, the Lt Governor directed the Chief Secretary to visit N&M Andaman and Nicobar District, along with his team of officials, the first such visit should be made in October 2015, he said.
The Lt Governor on the occasion congratulated the entire election machinery and Police for conducting the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. He also congratulated all the newly elected members of the Port Blair Municipal Council and PRIs. He urged them to commit themselves to the welfare of the people and overall development of these Islands.
The Chairperson PBMC, Smt. Sheela Singh and Smt. Rupa Ray jointly flagged off the cleanliness campaign.
In her address, the Chairperson PBMC, Smt. Sheela Singh said that ‘Swatch Bharath Abhiyan’ a mission launched by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi is being implemented by the PBMC in letter and spirit. Awareness programme is also being carried to make cleanliness a mass movement.
