Kolkata: President of India Droupadi Murmu graced the launch ceremony of Vindhyagiri – the sixth ship of Project 17A of the Indian Navy at Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers Limited on Thursday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the launching ceremony and posted on her social media profile: “Today, I attended the launch of the stealth frigate ‘Vindhyagiri’ under ‘Project 17 Alpha’ for the Indian Navy by Hon’ble President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of Hon’ble Governor C V Ananda Bose. The endeavour is aimed at enhancing maritime efficiency. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to every single individual involved in the successful completion of the project. May our nation continue to climb the stairs of success in every sector and pave the way for a glorious future.”
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the launch of ‘Vindhyagiri’ marks a move forward in enhancing India’s maritime capabilities. “It is also a step towards achieving the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat through indigenous shipbuilding. Project 17A of which ‘Vindhyagiri’ is a part that reflects our commitment to self-reliance and technological advancement. This project demonstrates indigenous innovation for developing state-of-the-art technology.”
The President highlighted: “India is the fifth largest economy in the world and we are striving to become the third largest economy in future.” She added that a growing economy means higher volumes of trade and a huge part of our trade goods transit through the seas which highlights the importance of oceans to our growth and well-being.
The President added that the security in the Indian Ocean Region and the larger Indo-Pacific has many aspects and the Navy has to always remain proactive in tackling security threats.
Speaking at a programme at the Raj Bhavan, where the President launched the ‘My Bengal, Addiction-Free Bengal’ campaign organised by the Brahma Kumaris, she said the Central and state governments are working hard on various aspects to curb the problem.
“Drug abuse is a matter of concern for society and the country. Due to these addictions, the youth are not able to choose the right direction in their lives. This is very worrying and there is a need to work on all fronts in this matter,” Murmu said.
“Any kind of addiction develops due to mental stress and peer pressure. Addiction is harmful to health. Many other disorders also arise from addiction. Family and friends of drug addicts also suffer a lot of trouble,” she added.