SRINAGAR: CS, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired a meeting to take stock of the preparations to be made for grand celebration of the finale of Azadika Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), going on from last more than one year.All of the Administrative Secretaries, the ADGP for Kashmir/Jammu, the Divisional Commissioner for Kashmir/Jammu, the Deputy Commissioners, and the District SPs were present at the meeting along with other relevant offices. The Chief Secretary used this opportunity to thank the District and Divisional Administration for their tireless work over the course of these months to push the UT to the top of the list by staging more events than other states or UTs under the AKAM programme. Dr. Mehta made it clear to the authorities that celebrations of this national festival’s conclusion should be held at all levels, starting with the Panchayats.He implied that every office, school or institution should raise the national flag on 15 August in addition to taking extra precautions to maintain the cleanliness of their facilities. He commanded all the officers to participate in all the activities themselves and to encourage others to do the same. He also suggested that the District Administration keep an eye on how the Panchayats operating under their control are doing. He requested that the Forest Department arrange for the delivery of at least 75 plant seedlings to each Panchayat for planting during these festivities.He requested that the institutions where these plantations are planted take action to protect all of them. The Chief Secretary insisted that any occasion involving the “Panchayat Prabharis” should be celebrated with grace and decorum appropriate to the occasion. He suggested that all “Veers” who were to be honoured and remembered by the Panchayats be well-known and had made significant contributions to or sacrifices for the nation.The local level events, which will honour the “Veers” who gave their today for our tomorrow—especially freedom fighters and military personnel—will take place between August 9 and 15. A “Shilaphalakam” honouring the sacrifice and commitment of the Veers will be created at each spot as part of this project, which will be followed by a flag-raising ceremony and the singing of the national anthem. The programme also includes a “PanchPran Pledge” and a selfie with an earthen “Diya” or “Mitti” from the hamlet. Such selfies must be posted on the national website designated for them.Similar to this, each Gramme Panchayat will replenish mother earth as part of the “VasudhaVandan” programme by planting at least 75 plant seedlings, preferably in the vicinity of the previously established Amrit Sarovars. A teenager from each block was assigned to collect “MittiYatras” from Panchayats and bring them to their respective blocks, where they would then bring them to New Delhi to be used in the construction of the National Memorial at Kartavya Path. This information was also shared with the meeting. As the UT hosted the most events in the nation under AKAM, it was implied that J&K’s participation level remained unmatched and distinctive.All of these activities collectively referred to as “Meri MaatiMeraDesh” depict a cohesive celebration of India’s bravery that propelled it on its path to freedom and growth. Additionally, this programme aims to develop a sense of national pride in the next generation.
