The Hon Dr. Mohammad Anwar Husnoo, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management,

Lord Mayor of Port Louis,

Mayors of Municipal Council of Quatre Bornes, Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Vacoas Phoenix and Curepipe,

Chairpersons of District Council of Riviere du Rempart , Black River , Moka , Grand Port, and Savanne,

Chief Fire Officer, Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service,

Other representatives from the Government of Mauritius,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar, Bonjour!

A very good morning to all of you

1. I am delighted to be part of this beautiful ceremony at Coromandel Fire Station today to hand over the 13 Trailer mounted Water Pumps and Human incinerators- both produced under the Line of Credit extended by the Government of India to the Government of Mauritius. This is yet another remarkable event that commemorates the successful partnership between India and Mauritius. It also demonstrates the competence of Indian companies delivering state of the art products abroad. I therefore, feel privileged to hand over the Trailer mounted water pumps and the LPG fired incinerators on behalf of the Government of India, to the Honourable vice Prime Minister of Mauritius today at this impeccable ceremony.

2. Excellency , these two projects are very special for us, given their direct impact on the lives of the common people all over the country and the opportunity they have provided us to help various municipal and district councils as well as the Fire Stations in effectively discharging their responsibilities.

3. I am happy that we started in 2021 by providing ‘Made in India’ COVID vaccines to Mauritius, just one week after launching our own vaccination drive in India, helping Mauritius become one of the first countries to attain 100 % vaccination of its front liners. Now, as we near the end of 2021, I am doubly happy that we are able to hand over these two important social projects that will again help the front liners in handling the COVID crisis and other challenges.

4. Excellency, I am aware of the devastating flash floods of 2013 and how Mauritius has been rightly focusing on disaster preparedness as a vulnerable island nation. As a reliable partner country, India has always been extending full assistance to Mauritius in this sector. You would recollect that we had deputed an Indian expert from our National Disaster Response Force to the Government of Mauritius; he was working closely with the Special Mobile Force and your Ministry until a few months ago and was assisting in training Mauritian officials in disaster preparedness, mitigation and rehabilitation as well as preparation of policy frameworks. I understand that the trailer-mounted water pumps that are being handed over today were identified as one of the projects to be implemented under the LOC of USD 500mn offered in 2017 to suitably equip Mauritius in handling such devastating floods and other disasters. Therefore, I am happy that these 13 pumps will go a long way in augmenting operational capabilities of the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Services in effectively responding to emergencies during flash floods, fires, cyclones and other calamities.

5. While the equipment was manufactured and delivered to Mauritius well on time, there were delays in commissioning and handing them over to the Government of Mauritius, primarily due to the COVID pandemic. We were fortunate to have a dedicated team of officials in your Ministry as well as Municipal and District Councils who worked 24*7 and extended all possible assistance to overcome several challenges and helps us complete the project in the shortest possible time. I would like to place on record, our special gratitude to the Ministry of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management, the Municipal and District Councils, the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Services, and other stakeholders who were supportive in finding solutions when the Indian companies faced problems in obtaining equipment locally for the two projects. Without their tireless assistance, the projects would not have been completed successfully.

6. Excellency, as we wind up 2021, we see that the year was full of intense bilateral engagements, benefitting the special and unique relationship that exists between our two countries. Following the supply of ‘Made In India’ COVID vaccines to Mauritius in January, we saw the inauguration of the Rose Hill – Quatre Bornes segment of our flagship Metro Express project in June; the handing over of a Passenger Variant Dornier aircraft on lease to Mauritius in September; completion of the Short Refit of the Mauritian Coast Guard ship CGS Barracuda in October; and supply of Gunpowder and Plastic explosives to the Special Mobile Force recently in November. And today, we are handing over 13 Trailer Mounted Water pumps to the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Services and Human Incinerators to various Municipal and District Councils.

7. Going forward, next month, we will also be handling over 956 Social Housing Units and commencing works on the new Civil Service College and an 8 MW Solar Power plant project at Henrietta. We are also finalising modalities to hand over a Dhruv helicopter on lease to Mauritius, pending the procurement of a new Dhruv helicopter. In addition, the 20 Fire Fighting Vehicles that are being procured by the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Services will be delivered in batches, starting in February 2022. Other projects like the construction of a Renal Transplant unit, Mediclinics and Area Health Centres are also progressing well and the tendering exercise will commence early next year. We also hope to begin works on other important projects like the Forensic Science Laboratory, the National Library & Archives, and the Mauritius Police Academy in 2022. So, 2022 is set to be much more intense and productive, with new development partnership initiatives that will further enhance the longstanding developmental cooperation between Mauritius and India.

8. This will be apt and benefiting as we celebrate our Azadi Ka Imrit Mahitsav celebration of India’s 75 years of independence – a celebration not only of India’s achievements, but also India’s renewed commitment to sharing its developmental experience with partners like Mauritius. I am confident that there will be many more such moments to cherish in the India- Mauritius relationship as we mark our 75 years of India- Mauritius diplomatic relations in 2023, and as we strive together to make every tomorrow better than today for our people.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

9. Ours is a truly multi- dimensional and unique relationship that has been growing from strength to strength, thanks to the vision and support of our leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth for his personal leadership and guidance in deepening the special partnership between our two countries.

10. I would like to say special thanks to the Hon. Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management for his valuable support as well as timely guidance at all times, in resolving the various challenges in completing the two projects. I would also like to thank the Hon’ble Vice-Prime Minister for taking out his incredibly busy schedule to grace this event today.

11. I would like to extend my gratitude to various Municipal and District councils, and their dedicated officials and engineers, who worked hand-in-hand with the Indian teams to complete the project in the shortest possible time.

12. A big thank you to the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service and the Chief Fire Officer for his personal support and supervision in completing necessary testing and commissioning of water pumps, just in time for today’s handing over ceremony. I would also like to place on record, our appreciation to the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service for organising this beautiful ceremony at short notice and for making necessary arrangements for the event. I am sure, we will have more opportunities to witness such beautiful ceremonies organised by the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service in 2022, as we hand over 20 Fire Fighting vehicles that are being manufactured in India, early next year.

13. I would also like to place on record, our sincere gratitude to the two Indian Companies M/s. Kanta Electricals and M/s. New Age Fire Fighting Ltd and their team members, for their commitment and hard work, without which these two projects would not have been possible.

14. Before I conclude, let me also take this opportunity to wish you, your family members and near and dear ones, a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a safe and healthy 2022.

Thank you, Namaskar!