Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 17: Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar with additional charge of Puducherry, Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh today called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed a wide range of issues relating to island territory.
Dr Jitendra Singh told the Lieutenant Governor that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attaches high priority to the development of peripheral regions, including Andaman & Nicobar, Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir. He said, Andaman & Nicobar islands hold a special historic as well as emotional attachment for Indians because this is the place where Sawarakarji, the great nationalist ideologue, spent about ten years in solitary confinement in the Cellular Jail known as “Kalapani”. 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 four lakh, 94% of its territory under forest cover and coastline extending up to more than 1900 kms., Andaman & Nicobar hold an important strategic place for India 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. Gen. Singh referred to the establishment of Medical college at Port Blair which had been pending for several decades and informed Dr. Jitendra Singh 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 achievement referred to by the Lieutenant 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, Government of India’s “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” was launched in Andaman & Nicobar 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 Andaman & Nicobar, he informed.
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