PM Unveils Projects Worth Rs 1,156 Cr in Lakshadweep, Highlights Decade of Development in Islands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation for various projects worth Rs 1,156 crore in Lakshadweep. The projects were launched at a function attended by hundreds of people in the Union Territory on PM Modi’s two-day visit to the region

Speaking at the event, PM Modi said that the priority of his government is to make life easier for every region and every citizen of India.

“Today, the foundation stone of projects worth about Rs 1,200 crore has been laid and inaugurated here. These are projects related to internet, electricity, water, health and child care,” he said.

Attacking his predecessors, the Prime Minister said that governments that remained at the Center for decades after independence, their priority was only the development of their political party.

“Far-off states, border areas or those in the middle of the ocean were not given any attention. In the past 10 years, our government has prioritised these states,” he told people in Kavaratti.

Projects Launched By PM Modi

This includes the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection (KLI – SOFC) project, which he announced in his Independence Day speech in August 2020 at the Red Fort.

The transformational initiative aims to overcome the challenge of slow internet speed on Lakshadweep Island.

This will result in an increase in internet speed by more than 100 times, from 1.7 Gbps to 200 Gbps, in the islands, according to officials.

They said Lakshadweep is now connected through a submarine optical fibre cable, marking a significant shift in communication infrastructure.

This will enhance internet services, telemedicine, e-governance, education, digital banking, currency usage and literacy in the islands, they said.

Additionally, he dedicated to the nation the Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) in all households on the Agatti and Minicoy islands.

Other projects launched by Modi include the solar power plant at Kavaratti, the first-ever battery-backed solar power project in Lakshadweep.

He also laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the primary health care facility in Kalpeni and the construction of five model Anganwadi centres (Nand Ghars) in the five islands of Androth, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti and Minicoy.