Union Minister Gadkari Visits Andamans To Review Key National Highway Projects

Port Blair: Union minister Nitin Gadkari is on a visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands to review various national highway projects in the archipelago, an official said on Saturday. 

The Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways arrived in Port Blair on Friday and held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Admiral (Retd) D K Joshi and later reviewed national highway projects, official said.

On Saturday, he interacted with BJP workers and discussed various issues related to the development of the archipelago.

"We requested his intervention for the completion of various pending work, including those related to land conversion, medical facilities, higher education, and roads," a senior BJP worker was quoted as saying by news agency PTI in Port Blair. 

Later, he visited Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island (previously known as Ross Island), another official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Gadkari Visits Smritika Museum 

In Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, Gadkari visited a World War II-era Japanese bunker, Smritika Museum built by the Indian Navy in 1993, and several other monuments, the official said.

A senior official of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) briefed him about the proposed national memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

He will also visit 'Swantantraya Jyot', a tribute to thousands of freedom fighters who suffered incarceration in the prison during the freedom struggle.

On December 29, the Union minister will visit Swaraj Dweep (previously known as Havelock Island) and stay there till December 30.

He would leave the archipelago on January 1, official sources were quoted saying by news agency PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)