Port Blair, Nov. 13: Union Government to roll out a nationwide outreach and awareness campaign ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ on 15th November, 2023. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will launch the Yatra on the occasion of Birsa Munda Jayanti-Jan Jaati Gaurav Diwas by flagging of Information, Education, and Communication Vans at Khunti district of Jharkhand.
While Hon’ble Prime Minister will be launching the yatra from Khunti District, the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands and Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency, Admiral D. K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.) will be flagging off Information, Education, and Communication Vans from the Southernmost part of India at Campbell Bay at the same time.
The contribution of Andaman & Nicobar Islands will be quite significant in the relentless march of our nation towards ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Great Nicobar Island has been selected as start point for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra for Andaman & Nicobar Islands for the reasons that Great Nicobar is the Southernmost point of our country. The Islands are being developed as one of the major economic driver and considering the strategic importance of Great Nicobar Island from defence point of view, it assumes significant importance for the country.
Great Nicobar Island is the southern-most point of the country which is about 40 km from the major international sea route passing through Malacca Strait. Considering the strategic importance of Great Nicobar Island, Govt. of India has conceived the project of Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island. The interlinked project of Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island apart from setting up of International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) also includes setting up of Greenfield International Airport, Power Plant and Township.
The proposed ICTT, will handle 14.2 Million twenty-foot equivalent units cargo capacity. It will allow Great Nicobar Island to participate in the regional and global maritime economy by becoming a major player in cargo transhipment. Development of transhipment terminal would attract existing traffic of ports along the Eastern coast of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, as they form the primary catchment for transhipment terminal.
The holistic development of Great Nicobar Island project is being developed at a cost of Rs.72622 crore comprising of four components viz. International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) (Rs.39,959 cr), Airport (Rs.8583 cr), Power Plant (Rs.3500 cr) and Township(Rs.24580 cr).
Hon’ble Prime Minister will launch the yatra from Khunti district of Jharkhand for the tribal districts initially, and the remaining districts across the country will be covered from 22nd November, 2023 to 25th January, 2024. This is the first time that all the Gram Panchayats will be covered during the outreach and awareness campaign. Over three thousand 700 Urban Local Bodies having around 14 thousand locations in urban areas will be covered.
During the Yatra, key features of 20 schemes including Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, PM PRANAM Yojana and Urea Subsidy Scheme will be showcased.
Vans will travel to rural and urban areas, disseminating information through audio-visuals, brochures, pamphlets and other mediums in regional languages. One of the major components of this yatra is that, it will not only disseminate information but also collect feedback about the schemes. During the Yatra, people will be able to share their experiences ‘Kahaani Meri Zubaani’ and participate in on spot Quiz Competition. Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat will be live telecast through these vans. In addition, virtual question and answer session will be held with the Prime Minister. On-the-spot services such as Health Camps, Aadhaar enrolment, MY BHARAT volunteer enrolment would also be facilitated during the Yatra. Krishi activities like drone demonstrations and interaction with progressive farmers on Soil Health Cards and natural farming will also be the key objectives of the Yatra. Over two thousand five hundred vans will cover the rural areas and 200 vans will disseminate the information in urban areas.
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