Praful Patel
The union territory has seen numerous developmental initiatives in healthcare, education, employment generation, tourism promotion, and other areas under administrator Praful Patel.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu has made unprecedented progress in both ease of living and doing business since 2016.
Silvassa (DNH) [India], August 28: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, the union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu has taken rapid strides towards development for all in the last five years.
The union territory has made tremendous progress in health, education, industrial development, tourism, women empowerment, urban and rural development, tribal welfare, among others, since 2016.
Incidentally, Praful Patel, Administrator of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, took over as the administrator of Daman & Diu, which was a separate union territory at the time, on August 29, 2016, and he will complete five years of serving on the post on Sunday. Subsequently, he was also assigned the responsibility as Dadra & Nagar Haveli administrator on December 30, the same year.
In an effort to reduce duplication of services and usher in greater efficiency in administration, the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi merged the two union territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu in January 2020. As administrator of the two union territories, Praful Patel provided essential suggestions and inputs on the merger and played a vital role in the creation of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
“Over the last five years, we have adopted a holistic and integrated approach for the development of the union territory. The focus has been on improving both the ease of living and doing business through effective administration. We have worked on strengthening healthcare delivery systems, boosting education, infrastructure development, employment generation, and other fields to achieve the two objectives,” said Praful Patel.
“We have laid the groundwork and are accelerating the efforts that have been made in five years to take the union territory to new heights by harnessing its full potential,” he added.
As far as healthcare is concerned, the Vinoba Bhave civil hospital in Silvassa has been expanded into a 650-bed multi-specialty hospital. The 185-bed government hospital at Daman is being upgraded to a 300-bed hospital. Several health & wellness centres have been established in the union territory to ensure easy healthcare access for people.
The focus on healthcare and the upgraded infrastructure played a crucial role in the union territory’s effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The union territory remained Covid-free until June 1, 2020, i.e., for nearly five months after the country reported its first Covid-19 case. There have been zero Covid-19 deaths in the UT. Moreover, 100% of the eligible population had received at least one of the Covid-19 vaccine doses by June-end. The drive to administer the second dose is continuing at full pace.
To boost primary education, more than 20 new school buildings are being built across the union territory, and an education hub is coming up at Silvassa. Hundreds of classrooms have also been transformed into smart classrooms to make learning interactive and exciting.
Multiple initiatives have also been taken in higher education, including coaching for JEE / NEET, setting up a medical college in Silvassa, offering paramedical courses, a new nursing college, and an engineering college in Daman. An education hub has been established in Diu, which is also home to the International campus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara.
To ensure employment generation through industrial investments, the UT came up with an Industrial Policy in 2018, followed by one this year, to attract fresh investments. Nearly 5,000 new industries have been registered in the UT from 2016 to 2020, creating more than 75,000 jobs. A single window portal, investment facilitation centre, business reforms action plan, reducing and simplifying regulatory compliances, among other steps, have contributed to Ease of Doing Business in the UT.
Tourism is another area that has seen a significant thrust since 2016. The beautification of Diu fort, heritage walk in Diu, development of tent cities at various places, sound & light show at Diu, beautification projects, besides popular events and festivals such as Monsoon Magic Festival, Daman Festival, Book Festival, etc. have helped in attracting more tourists to the union territory. The Blue Flag beach certification award to Diu’s Ghoghla beach in October last year underscores the administration’s efforts to boost tourism.
The unification of the union territory, multiple digitalisation projects, mergers and repeal of various laws, complaint management system, and the e-office project aimed at paperless administration are among the numerous steps since 2016 to ensure greater efficiency and transparency in administration.