This Padma Shri is not for me but for my soil and community, says Padma Shri Rahibai Popere
By Lokmat English Desk | Published: November 11, 2021 04:38 PM2021-11-11T16:38:03+5:302021-11-11T16:38:03+5:30
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"This Padma Shri is not for me but for my soil and community", The Padma Shri Rahibai Popere, who lives in a small tribal village in Maharashtra, expressed her feelings towards the Padma Shri, she received the country’s fourth-highest civilian award for her contribution to agriculture at a ceremony held on November 8, at New Delhi.
She is also known as 'Beejmata (seed mother), On Tuesday evening, Rahibai Popare paid a goodwill visit to the Maharashtra Parichaya Kendra in the capital Delhi.
Mrs. Popare was felicitated by Amarjyot Kaur Arora, Public Relations Officer and Deputy Director (AC) of the Introduction Center with a shawl, coconut, and a bouquet of flowers.
Food Mother Mamtabai Bhangre, Specialist of BIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihood and Development Sanjay Patil, Divisional Officers Jitin Sathe, Yogesh Navale, and Laxman Dagle were present on the occasion.
On Monday, November 8, President Ramnath Kovind conferred the Padma Shri award on Rahibai Popare for her outstanding contribution to the field of agriculture.
She preserved indigenous seeds and has 154 varieties including rice and jowar, Reacting to the prestigious award, Mrs. Popare said, "This award is not for me, but for the black soil, my seeds, nature, and our society."
She said that she has been saving indigenous seeds at home for the last 25 years. She also said that BIF has been of great help to the world in this regard.
Apart from this, Kalsubai Samiti has been set up at the village level and with the help of the organization, this work is being carried out with 3,000 women, informed Popare.
She also expressed the expectation that village-level seed banks should be set up in the same way as Gavaran Seed Bank has been set up in the Ahmednagar district.
