Andaman and Nicobar Administration
Directorate of IP&T
Information & Publicity Division
Port Blair February 17, 2015.
Press Release
Red Letter Day for Isles history:
Union Minister Dedicates Junglighat terminal to the nation
Port Blair, Feb 17
It was indeed a red letter day today in the history of these Islands when the Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari dedicated the newly built Junglighat Terminal to the Nation. At a well organized function at the Terminal premises, the Union Minister unveiled the plaque to dedicate the port infrastructure facility to the nation in general and the Islands in particular in the august presence of the Lt Governor, Lt Gen. AK Singh (Retd), Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Chief Secretary, Shri Anand Prakash, Smt. Rupa Ray, the State BJP President, Shri Vishal Jolly, senior officials from the A&N Administration and ALHW besides a good number of islanders.
Junglighat Jetty Terminal has been completed in two phases. The total cost of the project is Rs.96 crores which was sanctioned by the Ministry of Shipping. Passenger shed, transit sheds, cargo handling equipment shed WeighBridge, heavy cargo stack yard are the basic facilities, among others, provided in the Junglighat Harbour Complex. Altogether 24 vessels can be berthed at a time.
Addressing the function, the Union Minister reminded the people about the measure of importance which the govt. at the centre attaches to this remotely placed strategically significant Islands which is also the last post of our Country. He said people of these Islands also have great hope and expectations from the Central Govt. and assured that it would leave no stone unturned to uplift the quality life of the people of these Islands.
Giving a brief account of some of the immediate steps taken to speed up the infrastructure development works, the Union Minister said that under the National Highway Project, Rs 1000 crores have been sanctioned to cover 223 km road from Chidiyatapu to Diglipur. DPR is being prepared for 61KM road in the first phase, the work for which is expected to start soon. He further stated that support of the Administration is needed to make this NH road into a double lane as the forest and environment clearance is required for this purpose which comes under the purview of the concerned State.
Shri Gadkari said that he believed in the concept of carrying out sustainable development by striking a balance between environment and development. One - sided development is always harmful, he pointed out. He said mere dependency on grant/subsidy is also not a good indicator and urged the islanders to come forward to become entrepreneurs to take these islands towards the path of faster growth and progress so that they are able to fully reap the benefits of such developments. There is need to generate local entrepreneurship with new technology which will not only help boost the economy but also contribute towards solving growing unemployment problem in these Islands. “I do not say that there will be no central assistance but I always want to see the local people come forward for infrastructure development under PPP mode. I will be very happy if the local people are involved in a great measure in the development process and become big partners for such endeavour”, Shri Gadkari said.
About the connectivity between Chatham & Bambooflat, Shri Gadkari referred to his visit to Holland where he saw push -back technology having been adopted for construction of a bridge there. “I want to replicate the same model one each at SagarPort in West Bengal and another in A&NIslands,” he observed, stating that the Ministry has ordered for a feasibility report for both these places and once the report is ready, the Ministry can decide whether a bridge or a tunnel is feasible on this stretch.
Pointing out that diesel is being used for power generation here, the Union Minister requested the Lt Governor to make use of solar power as alternative source of energy and implement solar power projects in a big way here. Solar panels on roof tops, bio- gasifires, bio- gas plants, bio fuels, green power will help save the consumption of diesel which otherwise is costlier, he added. Even solar panels can be established on the roofs of Port sheds to meet the energy requirements in Port areas, the Minister suggested. Small innovative power saving models not only benefit the people but also save money to a great extent, the Minister observed.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor described the dedication of the terminal as a landmark event for the Islands. He was happy to note that the Minister during his brief stay here has minutely understood the requirement of these Islands and has a clear vision for its future development. The Lt Governor hoped that whatever project we propose, it will be rightly interpreted for its implementation on the ground.
The Lt Governor further stated that the spirit of free enterprise is lacking here and the dependency on the Govt. is actually hampering the pace of development. He noted with satisfaction that the Administration is getting adequate support from the Central Govt. for proper execution of various projects initiated by it. He further said entrepreneurs will be encouraged for investment which would ultimately contribute to further its prosperity and economic development.
The Lt Governor also referred to the two meetings he recently attended at New Delhi i.e NITI Aayog and Governors’ Conference and said that during these meetings it was conveyed that the Central Govt. would provide all assistance for the development initiatives taken by the UT Administration for the all round progress and benefit of the Islanders.
Describing Shipping as the lifeline of these Islands, the Lt Governor said despite having a good number of vessels in the DSS fleet only 55 percent ships are in operational condition. He said the Administration is trying its best to optimize the Shipping activities. Focus is also on to further improve aviation sector. He said Administration is pursuing vigorously to introduce chartered flight services in the sectors like Kolkata and Vizag which will also be extended up to Phuket.
The Lt Governor stated that the Administration is leaving no stone unturned to take Andaman & Nicobar Islands truly into the 21st Century. With the installation of the new Govt at the Centre, the development activities in this Island territory have been given a new dimension, and a fast pace for which he thanked the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Central Govt.
The Lt Governor complemented the Andaman Lakshadweep Harbour Works for developing the JunglighatHarbour infrastructure to cater to the future requirements of the Shipping sector.
In his address on the occasion, the Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray informed that these Islands will witness a flurry of development activities in the coming 5 years time from now. He requested the Minister for setting up of a Maritime Institute in A&NIslands so that the youths can avail the facility and contribute to the development of the Islands at large. Other facilities such as construction of slipway, Ship repair yard, Ship breaking yard under PPP mode may also be considered for these islands, the MP demanded.
The Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Shri Anand Prakash welcomed the Union Minister and other dignitaries present on the occasion. The Chief Secretary also expressed happiness over the timely completion of Junglighat Jetty Terminal and said that with the inauguration of the jetty, the congestion experienced at Phoenix Bay Jetty will ease to a considerable extent. He also lauded the efforts of the ALHW, PMB for completion of this project in time.
Informing about the salient feature of the new Terminal, the Chief Engineeer and Administrator, ALHW, Shri Bimal Sinha said that the construction of finger jetties for medium drafted vessels have been envisaged to cater to the future requirement of Shipping Sector. First priority has been given to mechanized boat, second to DSS and then to the Police Marine Force in these finger jetties, he added. The jetty approach measures 300m x 10m and finger Jetties is meant for 4m draft vessels (3x120mx15m), he added.
The Terminal’s inauguration function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by the Commissioner –cum- Secretary (Shipping), A&N Administration, Shri Raajiv Yaduvanshi .
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