AMWJU follows up on state memorial at Port Blair

PORT, BLAIR, February 23: Even though the construction of a memorial complex at the Andaman Nicobar islands for Manipur King Kulachandra and his followers who were sent on exile to the island is reasonable, it is hard to understand the need to construct a Guest house at the island, informed the Andaman and Nicobar Island Chief Secretary Anand Prakash during a chat with the Manipur media team.

The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union team met with the island’s Chief Secretary this morning around 11:30 am at the later’s office chamber. A simple gift was also handed over to the Chief Secretary by the media team.

The media team reminded the Chief Secretary that a team of the AMWJU had earlier visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2003 during which the team had appealed for land for the construction of a Memorial complex at Mt Harriet and a Guest House at Port Blair.

The Chief Secretary continued that since the 2003 AMWJU team visit and their request for land, there has been no other visit or work on the issue. He added that in the past two three months, apart from a team of the Manipur Legislative Assembly members for a Assembly Committee, no one has visited the Union Territory to pursue the matter of the memorial.

Meanwhile, continuing on the administration of the Union Territory,  he said that it  has a revenue of more than Rs 2000 Crore with tourism being one of the main income generator.

Other revenue generators are stamp duty, toll tax he said while adding that since the Andaman UT is tax free, it doesn’t collect taxes from businesses.

On the sufficient supply of power in the state, he said the main sources are diesel power units which is financially taxing.

He added that production of one unit of electricity requires Rs 18 and that it is made available to the people on a subsidized rate of Re 1 per unit.

He continued the UT has a 25 MW power plant also to compensate for the power deficit while adding that a Solar Power Project which will produce 5 MW of power will be utilized from next month.

The IAS officer who has been a Deputy Commissioner in Arunachal Pradesh when asked about the successful implementation of developmental works in the UT, replied that it is mainly due to good communication and stable law and order.