Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 14: On his first visit to New Delhi after the taking over of the new State Government in Assam, the Minister for Science & Technology, Information Technology and Water Resources Keshab Mahanta called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here and discussed issues of mutual interest as well as priority projects of the new government in the fields of Science & Technology and IT.
Keshab Mahanta expressed his Government’s keenness to bring Assam at par with other States of the country in terms of application of Science & Technology, remote sensing, satellite technology etc. He also disclosed that Chairman ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Kiran Kumar had visited Assam on the State Government’s invitation on July 4, and discussed various applications of science in governance and development projects.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the ISRO and the Department of Space had wide range of applications to offer which went beyond the confines of simply launching of satellites or rockets, but unfortunately all these applications were either not fully understood or not fully utilized. He explained, how in the Ministry of DoNER, he had introduced the use of satellite imaging not only for survey of roads and building construction, but also for preparation of Utilization Certificates with fool-proof accuracy which not only helps in saving time, but also reduces the possibility of any manipulation or maneuvering.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he had also suggested to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal that the services of Assam Remote Sensing Application Center (ARSAC) should be utilized to a greater extent in the field of urban development and construction of smart cities. The NESAC (North-Eastern Space Application Centre) in Shillong can also be directed to collaborate with the Government’s initiatives in Guwahati, he added.
Keshab Mahanta submitted a memorandum for establishing Regional Node / Center of Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in Assam. Dr Jitendra Singh said, he would process this request and ask the scientsts in the Department of Space to collaborate with the State Government for working out the feasibility of this proposal.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special focus on Northeast and Assam being the largest and most populous State in the region, Dr Jitendra Singh said, there is no reason why this State should not be a part of the national mainstream of advancement through satellite communication, remote sensing and capacity building, like other States of the country.
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