Sri Vijaya Puram, June 10: The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mr. Shantanu Thakur, today addressed a high-profile press conference at Sri Vijaya Puram.
The event, coordinated by Mr. M. Vinod, State Vice President and Media Cell Convenor of the BJP in the Union Territory, marked a celebration of 11 years of “Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Ajay Bairagi, President of the BJP’s State Unit, formally opened the proceedings in the presence of several senior party leaders.
In his welcome speech, Mr. Bairagi emphasized the significance of the day, noting that the press conference was part of a broader national outreach campaign to highlight the milestones achieved under the Modi Government’s 11-year tenure. He pointed to major central schemes that had transformed the lives of islanders—such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN, PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Digital India—ensuring that benefits now directly reach beneficiaries’ bank accounts without middlemen.
Taking the stage, Minister Mr. Shantanu Thakur lauded the 11 years of progress under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. He reflected on transformative steps taken since 2014, including demonetization to curb black money, the Digital India mission, the abolition of Triple Talaq, and the historic revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr. Thakur elaborated on the Modi Government’s massive infrastructure push, citing the construction of 1.5 lakh km of new roads and the modernization of over 70 airports across India. He noted that 70% of India’s trade now passes through Indian ports, and described the BJP’s vision to position India among the world’s top five nations in port infrastructure. To that end, he announced a ₹76,000 crore investment for the development of the Great Nicobar Transshipment Port and a parallel ₹72,000 crore port project in Mundra.
Highlighting India’s humanitarian and security philosophy, Mr. Thakur cited “Operation Sindoor” and condemned global acts of terrorism while affirming India’s commitment to the doctrine of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). He hailed PM Modi as a once-in-a-generation leader and said that India would continue to rise under his guidance.
When asked by a journalist about upcoming port and shipping plans for the islands, Minister Thakur confirmed that he had recently conducted a personal survey of Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, and Great Nicobar. He stated that wherever settlements exist, proper jetties are essential. The ministry, he said, has already begun researching location-specific jetty models to improve ferry and shipping access.
In response to another question Mr. Thakur informed that land and sea mapping has been completed. The proposed project will include a green port, green airport, green city, and a thermal power hub. He estimated that while ground activity would begin in 1–2 years, the entire project would take approximately 15–20 years to fully materialize.
When asked about passenger ships “MV Atal” and “MV Ashoka,” Mr Thakur reminded that pre-COVID airfares had fallen to ship-equivalent prices, prompting ministry re-think. “Restarting a paused file is slower than pausing it,” he conceded, but assured that soaring post-pandemic airfares had “re-opened the case for ocean decks.” Feasibility reports are expected “shortly,” he said, after which “we will sail forward.”
The press conference concluded with vote of thanks proposed by Shri Sanjay Singh,Programme Incharge and State Vice President.