The Minister for Science & Technology, Information Technology and Water Resources, Government in Assam, Shri Keshab Mahanta called on the 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 today and discussed issues related to the priority projects of the Assam Government in the fields of Science & Technology and IT.
Shri 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 and satellite technology. He also said that Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) had visited Assam and discussed various applications of science in governance and development projects.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the ISRO and the Department of Space has 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 that he had also suggested to Assam Chief Minister Shri 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 asked to collaborate with the Government’s initiatives in Guwahati, he added. Shri 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 that he would process this request and ask the scientists in the Department of Space to collaborate with the State Government for working out the feasibility of this proposal. With Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s special focus on Northeast, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Northeastern states should also be benefitted by the advancement through satellite communication, remote sensing and capacity building.