43rd edition of Mann Ki Baat at All India Radio
ANDALIB AKHTER / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today focused his Man Ki Baat on ‘water conservation’ saying it must be a social and collective responsibility of countrymen.
In the 43rd edition of Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio today, Mr Modi said, water conservation has been a way of life for our forefathers and they devised newer methods to conserve every single drop of water. The Prime Minister said, April to July is the most suitable time for rainwater harvesting, and with advance preparations, a rich harvest can be reaped.
Referring to some temples of Tamil Nadu, Mr Modi said, there are carvings on stone depicting irrigation system, water conservation methods and drought management. He said, several stepwells like Adalaj, Rani ki Vaav in Gujarat and Chand Baodi in Rajasthan are famous as tourist spots and these are the living symbols of the water conservation campaigns which our forefathers had accomplished.
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The Prime Minister also said, during the last three years, an average of 32,000 crore rupees have been spent beside the MGNREGA budget each year on water conservation and water management. He said, in 2017-18, 55 percent of the total outlay of 64,000 crores has been spent on works like water conservation. Mr Modi said, in the last three years, nearly 150 lakh hectares of land got the benefit through water conservation and water management measures.
The Prime Minister said, in Kerala, about 7,000 workers under MGNREGA worked very hard for seventy days and finally succeeded in reviving Kuttumperoor river. He also mentioned about how the district administration of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh revived river Sasur-Khaderi.
Referring to the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Australia, the Prime Minister said, India’s performance in the Games was par excellence. He said, all wrestlers who represented India returned home with a medal. Mr Modi said, this edition of the games was special as majority of the medalists were women athletes.
He said, Table Tennis player Manika Batra won a medal in each of the events that she competed in. He said India clinched the maximum number of medals in shooting. The Prime Minister said, athletes who participated in these games reached this pinnacle, crossing hurdles and hardships. He said these sportspersons are sources of encouragement for the young generation of the country.
Expressing his happiness that people are getting connected to Fit India with a lot of enthusiasm, Mr Modi said, many eminent personalities are encouraging the youth in interesting ways for Fit India. He said Yoga has a special significance in the Fit India campaign.
The Prime Minister called upon the youth to participate in the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship. He said it is an opportunity for the youth who want to do something for the society and country. Mr Modi said the best interns who have strived in schools and colleges with excellent work will be rewarded with recognition at the national level.
He said those interns who accomplish their tasks well will be awarded two credit points each by the University Grants Commission. Youth can register themselves for the ‘Swachh Bharat Summer Internship’ on Mygov open forum. He expressed hope that the youth will lend their hand in taking the movement of cleanliness forward.
Speaking about Good News India programme on Doordarshan, Mr Modi said, the programme tells about many good initiatives taken by people in different parts of the country and everyone should watch it.
The Prime Minister mentioned about some youth from Delhi who are selflessly working in a dedicated manner to educate poor children. He said, the youth started the campaign with just 15 children from the slums near Geeta Colony and now it is being run at 12 places and two thousand children are being educated.
Mr Modi also mentioned about some farmers from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand who have adopted a value addition process to their agricultural produce and changed the loss incurring equation into a profit earning one. The farmers have started production of biscuits from their agricultural produce and sold those biscuits directly in the market.
He said, the farmers have formed a cooperative society and set up a biscuit factory. He said, impressed by the bold initiative of the farmers, the administration has also linked it to the National Livelihood Mission.
Paying his homage to Rabindranath Tagore, Mr Modi said, Gurudev Tagore was a personality full of knowledge and intellect whose writings left an indelible mark on everyone. The Prime Minister said Rabindra Nath was a personality full of talent, a multi-faceted persona. Mr Modi said, he has a fond memory of radio broadcast of Rabindra Sangeet in the mornings.
The Prime Minister said, within a few days from now the holy month of Ramazan will begin which is celebrated with full reverence and respect throughout the world. He said it is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and his message.
He said it is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life. He expressed hope that the opportunity will inspire people to follow the Prophet’s message of peace and goodwill.
Greeting people on the occasion of Buddha Poornima, Mr Modi said, Lord Buddha, is the very synonym of the power of compassion, service and sacrifice, who guided millions of people around the world. He said, architect of the constitution Dr B R Ambedkar stressed that Lord Buddha has been a great inspiration in his social philosophy.
He said, Baba Saheb strengthened the oppressed, exploited, deprived and crores of people standing on the brink of marginalization through Constitution of India. He said, there cannot be a bigger example of compassion than this.
This form of compassion was one of the greatest qualities of Lord Buddha for the alleviation of suffering of the people. He said India is developing Infrastructure for Buddhist Tourism which will connect Southeast Asia with the important Buddhist sites of India.
Remembering the Pokhran Nuclear test, Mr Modi said, Lord Buddha has shown the world that the power of inner strength is necessary for peace. The month of May 1998 is not just important for the country from the aspect that nuclear tests were conducted this very month, but the manner in which they were carried out is also important.
Saying that the country will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pokhran Test, Mr Modi asked the younger generations to imbibe the mantra of Jai-Vigyan given by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for enhancing the might and the power of India, to build a modern India, a powerful India and a self-reliant India.