Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
“If initiatives are taken to implement development works, the village will surely become a paradise,” said District Collector of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Deelip Swami, instilling confidence among sarpanchs (village heads) from across the district on Tuesday.
The grand Lokmat Sarpanch Awards ceremony took place at Sant Eknath Rangmandir, where the awards were presented by the chief guests District Collector Deelip Swami and the Zilla Parishad’s Chief Executive Officer, Ankit on May 6.
The curiosity about who would win in the fourth season of the awards ended as the winners were announced during this magnificent event. The award distribution was conducted with great fervour.
Presented by BKT Tyres, the Lokmat Sarpanch Awards—powered by Santoor, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, M.P. Birla Cement, Maruti Suzuki, and fertilizer partner Mahadhan—received an excellent response from sarpanchs in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district during its fourth season. In this competition, sarpanchs were allowed to participate in 13 different categories. They were allowed to enter one or all categories, as per their choice.
Sarpanch is a key element in village development
While appreciating Lokmat's initiative, ZP-CEO, Ankit, emphasized that the sarpanch plays a crucial role in the development of villages. The programme began with an introductory speech by Lokmat Editor Nandkishor Patil, who said that many sarpanchs are doing outstanding work and noted that Anna Hazare, Popatrao Pawar, and Bhaskarrao Pere serve as inspirations for these leaders. Several sarpanchs were seen working beyond the scope of the 13 award categories. During the verification process, it was found that none had submitted any false information in their entries. Patil expressed confidence that some of these award-winning sarpanchs would shine even at the state level. The Editor of Lokmat Samachar, Amitabh Srivastava; Editor of Lokmat Times, Yogesh Gole; Corporate Head (Events), Ramesh Dedwal, along with key officials from the sponsor companies were present on the dais.
Make the 'Jalyukt Gram' campaign a success
Collector Deelip Swami said, “When I took charge as District Collector, 800 water tankers were operating in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. To make the district tanker-free, efforts were made to implement the Jalyukt Gram Abhiyan. However, it achieved only 30 per cent success. If the campaign had been 100 pc successful, the number of water tankers would certainly have reduced. There is a need for sarpanchs to take initiative and work in areas such as environment, water conservation, soil conservation, sanitation, health, and education. If this is done, villages will inevitably transform into paradises.”
“Earlier, when entering a village, people were welcomed by banyan trees. Hence, I have initiated a drive to plant five banyan trees in every village. A question was raised saying how much funding will be received for this?. Not to focus only on how much money will come from the Finance Commission, but to aim for sustainable development, the collector advised to sarpanchs.