Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has landed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to assess the progress of various national highway projects in the region.
Gadkari arrived in Port Blair on Friday and held discussions with Lieutenant Governor Admiral (Retd) D K Joshi. The minister subsequently reviewed ongoing national highway initiatives.
On Saturday, Gadkari met with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the islands, discussing key issues surrounding the archipelago’s development.
"We requested his intervention for the completion of various pending work, including those related to land conversion, medical facilities, higher education, and roads," said a senior BJP worker in Port Blair.
Gadkari’s visit also included a trip to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island (formerly Ross Island), where he explored several historical sites. Notably, the Union
Minister visited a World War II-era Japanese bunker, the Smritika Museum established by the Indian Navy in 1993, and other significant monuments.
A senior official from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) briefed Gadkari about a proposed national memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Later, Gadkari paid homage at the Cellular Jail National Memorial in Port Blair. The minister visited the Martyrs’ Column, where he laid a wreath in tribute to
the freedom fighters who had suffered in solitary confinement at the prison during the colonial era.
Gadkari also visited the 'Swantantraya Jyot', a memorial to the thousands of freedom fighters incarcerated in the jail.
The Union Minister is scheduled to visit Swaraj Dweep (formerly Havelock Island) on December 29, where he will remain until December 30. Gadkari will depart the islands on January 1.
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