Mahabalipuram, Aug. 20: Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, A&N Islands & Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency, participated in the 31st Meeting of the Southern Zonal Council chaired by the Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, and hosted by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri C. Joseph Vijay, at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
In his address, the Hon’ble Lt. Governor highlighted the significant progress made by the A&N Islands in the areas of women and child safety, tourism, nutrition, education, financial inclusion, digital monitoring and further strengthening of the health sector through the deployment of super-specialist doctors through institutional MoUs.
The Hon’ble Lt. Governor also apprised the gathering of the holistic development of Great Nicobar Island under the esteemed leadership of the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, with projects such as the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), a new Greenfield Airport, Power Plant and Township, positioning the A&N Islands towards the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Given the strategic and geographical significance of the A&N Islands as a gateway to the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia, the Hon’ble Lt. Governor proposed an Integrated South Zonal Coastal States Marine Ecosystem, which includes developing a Ship Building and Repair Hub to offer maritime finance, ship insurance, bunkering and advanced offshore services, along with bonded warehouses, container repair yards, cold-chain facilities, skill centres and shared services at ports such as Chennai, Kamaraj and Visakhapatnam.
Under this model, the Islands would act as the maritime forward linkage, while mainland ports would serve as backward linkages. This complementary model can unlock new avenues for investment, employment and exports across the southern States.
With nearly 30% of India’s EEZ, the A&N Islands have immense marine potential. In partnership with eastern coastal States and institutions such as the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) and Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET), the Islands aim to develop a sustainable Tuna Hub through deep-sea fishing, processing, cold-chain facilities and exports, which would be a win-win initiative for all stakeholders, the Hon’ble Lt. Governor added.