The Hindu : New Delhi News : Call for strengthening campaign to create clean, green villages

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Saturday, May 05, 2007
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Call for strengthening campaign to create clean, green villages

Staff Reporter

President presents Nirmal Gram Puruskar

SEEKING BLESSING: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam blessing Sarpanch from Tripura Alomati at the Nirmal Gram Puraskar function in New Delhi on Friday. Union Ministers Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyer look on . — PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

NEW DELHI: President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Friday called for strengthening the campaign to create clean and green villages.

Presenting the Nirmal Gram Puruskar-2007 here, the President said developed villages lead to developed India. "The fact that the number of awardees and participants has gone up this year, illustrates that the movement for a clean and green India has penetrated the minds of the people. I congratulate the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Panchayat Raj for bringing this transformation at the grassroots level towards clean and green villages leading to developed villages," Dr. Kalam said.

He also administered an oath to the representatives from States to sustain the clean and green movement.

The President gave away Nirmal Gram Puruskar to 4,945 Gram Panchayats and 13 Block Panchayats from 22 States. Maharashtra walked away with 1974 awards, the highest this year. From Tamil Nadu, 282 Gram Panchayats won the awards, while 137 Gram Panchayats won the awards in Andhra Pradesh, 206 from Kerala and 381 from Gujarat were also presented the awards.

Earlier, Union Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said in just three years the awardees have increased from 40 to more than 4,500.

The Nirmal Gram Puraskar is for the best village and role models of rural sanitation.

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