Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya on Friday informed the Assembly that the Government would incorporate the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the ‘Mukhyamantri Tirth-Darshan Yojana’ and 50 per cent grants would be provided to those desirous of undertaking the journey.
The announcement came in the wake of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Member Usha Thakur presenting a private members bill in that context.
In an emotionally-charged speech, Thakur said, The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise the land of immortal revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Veer Savarkar and numerous other freedom-fighters who were incarcerated in Port Blairs Cellular Jail therefore the Government should provide grants to tourists.
Members Ranjana Baghel, Shankarlal Tiwari, Rajesh Sonkar and Vishwas Sarang of BJP, besides Mukesh Nayak of Congress also evinced support.
However, after lauding the Members initiative, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Surendra Patwa appealed to Thakur to withdraw the proposal for legislation as the Govt had no such plan at present. At that juncture, the Finance Minister intervened and made the announcement.
Sanjay Pathak and Kedarnath Shukla of BJP presented bills urging stoppages for the Howrah-Bhopal Express and the Ajmer-Kolkata Express at the West Central Railways Khanna Banjari Station and laying of a railway line up to Sidhi district headquarters. Both bills were passed unanimously. Patwa assured the House that he would forward them to the Centre.