Chandigarh

Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra' to commence from April 15

PNS

The 51-day ‘Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra’ would commence from April 15 on the auspicious occasion of Himachal Day and cover all the 3615 gram panchayats and other urban local bodies in the state.

“The main objective of the ‘Swarnim Himachal Rath Yatra’ is to ensure active participation of every Himachali and to instil a sense of belongingness,” said the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the meeting of State Level Executive Committee of Rath Yatra here.He said the Yatra would focus on showcasing the glorious 50 years developmental journey of Himachal Pradesh. Active participation of Ministers, MLAs and elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies must be ensured to make the event a success, he said. Thakur said that Rath Yatra would ensure reaching out to approximately 25 lakh people of the state through Yatra and social media.

All the major departments of the state must ensure  their participation and highlight the achievements of their respective departments, he directed.

 The Chief Minister said the main focus would be on highlighting the achievements, policies and programmes of the State Government for which the departments must provide their promotional IEC material and brochures to highlight their developmental journey so that the same could be showcased through the digital Rath Yatra.

 He said that efforts should also be made to rope in the local and national level artists and cultural troupes to entertain the people and highlight the glorious journey of the state through street plays, skits and songs. Events such as ‘Swarnim Etihaas Par Charcha’, quiz competitions, debates and painting competitions should also be organized at local level to ensure active participation and involvement of youth and students, he added.

The Chief Minister further said that state level sub committees should also be formed to conceptualize and plan the entire Swarnim Rath Yatra programme.

These sub committees would ensure implementation and monitoring of the entire programme.MLA and Chairman of State Level Executive Committee of Rath Yatra Dr. Rajiv Bindal said that apart from ensuring a detailed presentation on 50 years of glorious journey of the state, efforts should also be made to highlight the targets and roadmap for development of the State for the next 50 years.