JAMMU: At the Conventional Centre Jammu here, Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta officially launched the Amrit Kalash Yatra under the banner of “Meri Mati Mera Desh” (Mitti Ko Naman Veeron Ko Vandan) to New Delhi today. In addition to a sizable number of PRI members from throughout the UT, those in attendance included Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home, R K Goel; Commissioner Secretary, GAD, Sanjeev Verma; Secretary Culture, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah; and other Administrative Secretaries, IGP Jammu, Div Com Jammu, DC Jammu.The chief guest and other dignitaries lit a traditional lamp to kick off the programme. The Chief Secretary also gave the attendees a pledge on PanchPran (Pratigya) that included a developed nation by 1947. During the programme, the Chief Secretary and other dignitaries also kept some Mitti in the Kalash (pot) under the’muthibharmitti’. He described it as a symbolic action to demonstrate support for fellow citizens of our magnificent country. Speaking to the crowd, the Chief Secretary announced that 83 lakh participants from Jammu and Kashmir made up the largest group of participants in Meri Maati Mera Desh, based on the population ratio of the country’s States and Unions.He praised everyone who helped make this a reality and called this accomplishment extraordinary. Dr Mehta also expressed gratitude to the relevant departments for contributing to the UT’s tremendous performance. According to him, a lot of activities were held at the block and panchayat levels. Every home provided Mitti (dirt), which was mixed throughout the programme to commemorate the nation’s vast cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic variety. According to the Chief Secretary, UT’s success in a number of areas may be attributed to the dedication of its staff and administration. He implied that the rapid improvement the UT has made over the last few years should make every household in J&K proud.According to Dr. Mehta, UT today prides itself on being among the top performers in the nation in practically every programme run at the national level. Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, the secretary of culture, has earlier highlighted the panchayat and block level events that took place during this event’s initial phase. He also spoke to the representatives who would take part in this month’s final programme in New Delhi on the 31st. Prior to this, the Chief Secretary planted a tree on campus to launch a plantation effort as part of “Vasudha Vandhan.” In order to commemorate the construction of the greatest number of these structures in the UT, he also unveiled a Shilaphalakam on the same grounds.It should be noted that the Amrit Kalash Yatras gather mitti from every family at the block level and are to be transported to New Delhi by volunteers in order to create a national monument that will be named AmritVatika. The Chief Secretary congratulated all parties involved on the program’s excellent year-end. About four hundred volunteers from each UT block and ULB make up the J&K contingent. The groups would be headed by cultural officers and district-level nodal officers to ensure a seamless transition of this yatra to the nation’s capital.
