Edited by Deepali Verma
The Muslim-dominated Lakshadweep recently witnessed massive protests against the reforms introduced by the Government of India. Therefore, in an effort to reach out to the public, Prime Minister Modi arrived on this Island Union Territory on January 3. He said that though the archipelago is small, the people have a big heart. His visit to Lakshadweep was to further inaugurate and lay the foundation for various projects worth ₹ 1,150 crore in the Union Territory.
“The area of Lakshadweep may be small but the people have a really big heart. I am extremely overwhelmed by the love and blessings I receive here and I express my sincere gratitude to you all,” said the Prime Minister who arrived on the islands on January 2.
The launch of the projects took place at a function attended by hundreds of islanders including women and children. In an address post the launch of the projects, PM Modi took a dig at the previous non-BJP governments at the Centre, stating that their priority for decades was only the development of their own political parties.
“Far-off states, border areas, or those that are living in the middle of the ocean were not given any attention,” he said.
PM Modi elaborated on the steps taken by his government and said, “In the last decade, our government has made these border areas and locations at the edge of the sea its priority.”
“In 2020, I made a guarantee that you will get a fast internet facility within the next 1,000 days. And today, the Kochi-Lakshadweep Submarine Optical Fibre Project has finally been inaugurated. Now, the internet in Lakshadweep will be provided at 100 times higher speed,” the Prime Minister said.
The transformational initiative is expected to overcome the challenge of slow internet speed on the island. This will showcase an increase in internet speed of over 100 times, that is from 1.7 Gbps to 200 Gbps, according to officials.
Lakshadweep is now connected via a submarine optical fibre cable that marks a significant shift in the communication infrastructure. This is done to enhance the internet services, telemedicine, e-governance, education, digital banking, currency usage and literacy in the islands, as notified by the officials.
Additionally, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kadmat, which is set to produce 1.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water every day. Further, he dedicated to the nation the Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) in all households on the Agatti and Minicoy islands.
Among other projects launched by PM Modi, the solar power plant at Kavaratti happens to be the first battery-backed solar power project in Lakshadweep. The foundation stone for the renovation of the primary healthcare facility in Kalpeni and the construction of five model Anganwadi centres (Nand Ghars) in the five islands of Androth, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti and Minicoy was also laid out.
