Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 3.73 billion for the Andaman and Nicobar Union Territory at Sri Vijaya Puram, marking a significant push to infrastructure and governance in the island territory.The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Lieutenant Governor Admiral D K Joshi (Retd.), Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and other senior officials. Shah also inaugurated an exhibition highlighting the three newly enacted criminal laws.Addressing the gathering, Shah recalled the historical significance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, particularly the Cellular Jail, where freedom fighters endured immense hardship during India’s independence struggle. He said the sacrifices made on the islands have made the region a place of national reverence. He also referred to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour in the islands and noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed two islands as Shaheed and Swaraj in his honour, while Port Blair was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram as part of efforts to remove colonial symbols.Shah said the islands have been transformed into a strategic and economic asset under the Modi government, contrasting it with earlier perceptions of the territory as a fiscal burden. He stated that nine projects were inaugurated and foundation stones laid for two projects in a single day. Key initiatives include an Integrated Command and Control Centre costing ₹229 crore, Phase I of a district hospital built at Rs 330 million, a new Forensic Science Laboratory, and six other schemes worth Rs 500 million.He added that the exhibition on the new criminal laws would help citizens, lawyers, and students understand upcoming changes in the criminal justice system and the increased role of technology. Shah further said development is underway across sectors such as tourism, fisheries, agriculture, MSMEs, and clean energy, and the upcoming Great Nicobar project will position the islands as a global trade and strategic hub.News source: PIB