Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 4: The state government Friday renamed Wheeler Island in Bhadrak district after former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Chief Minister Naveen Patnik made the announcement here at the Secretariat.
“Renaming the island as Abdul Kalam Island will inspire our youngsters to work dedicatedly for scientific research. It is a humble tribute of the state to the People’s President”, Patnaik said.
The island assumes significance in view of its strategic location. Located in the Bay of Bengal in Bhadrak district, it has been used as a launching pad for India’s missile defence systems. “Experts from across the world are of the opinion that it is the best missile launching site in the world,” the CM said said in a statement.
“The association of Kalam with the state and Biju Babu is well-known. Kalam was working at DRDO-Balasore for a prestty long time. It was Biju Babu who allotted Wheeler Island to the Ministry of Defence on Kalam’s request in 1993”, he recalled.
The maiden successful test-fire of the land-to-land Prithvi Missile was conducted from the mainland and it landed on the then uninhabited Wheeler Island November 30, 1993.
