Five MPs received the award for their outstanding performance, at a function held at New Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.

Apart from the Congress' Andamans MP, BJP's Sukanta Majumdar and Sudheer Gupta, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Eknath Shinde and NCP's Amol Ramsing Kolhe also received the award.

A source in the Andamans MP office stated that Sharma had raised many issues for the betterment of the archipelago and its people, and had not only participated in parliamentary debates but also demonstrated a high level of professionalism in discharging his responsibilities as a lawmaker.             

Among the issues raised by him in the House were filling up of nearly 10,000 government job vacancies in the islands, AIIMS for the Union territory, sending of specialist doctors to the archipelago on deputation, ultrasound facility in all PHCs, provision of 200 sq metres of land for all landless people in the islands, establishment of a central university and laying of optical fibres from Puri to Diglipur, the source said.

He also raised the issues of the creation of the Andaman and Nicobar Service Commission, the construction of an alternate highway along the coastline, building a bridge from Minnie Bay to Mithakhari and the introduction of the Udaan scheme in the islands, the source said. -- PTI