Assam: Youth are the agents of change- DC Adil Khan
Hailakandi
“Youth are the agents of change and they can bring about a change in the mindset of the people towards the cleanliness movement sweeping across the country,” said Adil Khan, Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, district of Assam.
Inaugurating the workshop on Swacch Bharat Summer Internship and District Youth Convention at the SIRD Extension Centre at Boalipar on the outskirts of Hailakandi town on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Khan said the youth have to jump into the cleanliness movement just as the countrymen did at the clarion of Mahatma Gandhi to free the country from the yoke of imperialism. “At the clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi, tens of thousands of countrymen jumped headlong into the freedom movement to break free from the shackles of British imperialism. Now is the time to join in yet another great cleanliness movement to free the country from diseases, filth and unhygienic conditions,” said Khan.
Exhorting upon the swacchagrahis to work conscientiously and assiduously towards promoting the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Khan said, “We must all join hands together to build up a cleanliness movement in Hailakandi district and in the State and country as a whole. The best way to bring about the desired change is to induce behavioural change in the mindset of the people to make cleanliness a part and parcel of their lives.”
Appreciating the spirit of volunteerism by the youth, Khan said such selfless service in the service of the nation without any thought of incentives has to be commended by one and all. In the same breathe, Khan appreciated the role of the District Nehru Yuva Kendra in channelizing the energies of the youth towards nation building.
Khan urged the youth to involve themselves in IEC related activities and to pitch in their efforts to promote the cleanliness movement in towns, cities and villages. Extending the help and support of the administration, Khan announced that cash incentives to the top five volunteers for Rs.2000 each and Rs 5,000 each to five top NGOs would be awarded for wall paintings on public properties on the theme of swachhata.
The Deputy Commissioner exuded optimism that Hailakandi, one of India’s most backward districts, would emerge as an aspirational district in the days ahead.
Addressing the youth and representatives of NGOs, Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, Hailakandi division, AB Choudhury said the youth must work diligently towards promoting the cleanliness movement in a big way and to infuse fresh innovative ideas to make the movement more purposeful and meaningful. “We are looking forward to receiving valuable feedback from you all that will give us food for thought to make the movement more purposeful and meaningful,” added Choudhury.
District Information and Public Relations Officer, Sabir Nishat said at the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the youth of the district have assembled together to give the much-needed impetus to the cleanliness movement. He said under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Khan, Hailakandi is inching closer to becoming an Open Defecation Free district.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal, SIRD, Modhu Ram Kalita said that drinking water and sanitation are the prerequisites of any development paradigm and without these core components everything pales into insignificance. He underlined the need to involve all sections of society, especially the youth to make the SBM a people’s movement.
Earlier, in his welcome address, District Youth Coordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra, SR Deb, said the orientation programme is being conducted by the organisation without any aid or support from any quarters and urged the Deputy Commissioner to involve the youth in IEC activities.
243 youth consisting of 37 teams have enrolled for the internship programme from Hailakandi district.
