Port Blair, May 2 (PTI) Top central government officials including Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra and Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday met representatives of Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The officials met them at Great Nicobar and learnt about their history, tradition and culture.
Five people of the Shompen tribe, who live in a dense forest, came forward with the help of local administration and interpreter and talked to the officials.
They greeted the central government officials with ‘Inapte’, meaning ‘namaskar’ in Shompen language, at the forest camp of Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar.
One of the Shompen tribes, Hawn, presented a memento to the officers and the delegates were briefed by Chief Secretary Keshav Chandra about the culture, tradition and history of PVTGs through a presentation.
The representatives from the Great Nicobarese tribes were also present to welcome the officials. They performed ‘Kantauka Payuh’, a Nicobarese traditional dance.
Mishra inquired about the healthcare facilities meant for them and he was told by the administrative staff that doctors/pharmacists with the help of Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS) keep a watch on them to handle medical emergencies.
The AAJVS is an autonomous registered society which looks after the welfare of the PVTGs living in their respective reserved areas in the archipelago.
Mishra was informed that Shompen and Great Nicobarese always lived in peace and never clashed with each other.
He was also briefed about how the administration managed to enrol them in the voter ID list and the arrangements made for them to exercise their voting rights. Seven Shompen voted in this Lok Sabha poll for the first time in history.
Later, the officials went to a watchtower and visited sea coasts, defence and coast guard areas to have a clear picture of the terrain where the Rs 75,000 Cr Great Nicobar Project is going to be implemented.
They also visited INS Baaz, a forward operating base of the Indian Naval Air Arm (INAA).
It overlooks the Strait of Malacca as well as the Six Degree Channel between Great Nicobar and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The visit of top officials at Campbell Bay is considered important as the Straits of Malacca is one of the most important shipping routes in the world from both an economic and a strategic viewpoint.
It is the shortest shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, connecting major economies like China, Japan, the Middle East and South Korea, sources said.
They also reviewed the initial master plan draft for the Great Nicobar Island project, which will include an international container trans-shipment terminal, Airport, power plant and a green-field township at Campbell Bay, a senior official said.
On Friday, the PMO officials will visit Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island (previously known as Ross Island) to inquire about the proposed national memorial.
All tourist boats will be barred from 2 PM onwards to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island on May 3. PTI SN SN NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.