STATE TIMES NEWS
UDHAMPUR: Khoon village of Majalta in Udhampur District on Monday witnessed huge congregation in the spiritual ambience of Khooneshwar Aap Sambu Temple in observance of the 11th annual Maha Shivratri-cum-Grameen Mela.
The high profile Mela was organised by Destitute and Handicapped Welfare Association (DAHWA), a reputed NGO of Jammu and Kashmir State, in collaboration with district administration Udhampur, Information Department and Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL).
The participants, in thousands, paid obeisance at the historic ancient temple to seek blessings of Lord Shiva.
Lauding the enthusiasm among the participants in the annual feature, the Chairman of DAHWA, Surat Singh Sumbria, said the holding of Mela aims at generating awareness among the rural masses about the governmental schemes meant for their socio-economic emancipation.
Sumbria expressed gratitude to Deputy Commissioner Udhampur for extending cooperation in making this festival a real success. He urged upon the government to observe this annual Maha Shivratri festival officially in view of its popularity and importance for the area.
Greeting the people, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chander Parkash, who was Chief Guest on the occasion, appreciated the efforts of DAHWA for organising this annual festival and said such events help in generating awareness and seeking involvement of village community in various initiatives designed by the government for their welfare. He especially made a mention of schemes like Beti Bachao, medical facilities to children and women, saying these have potential to lay foundation of healthy and harmonious society. He stressed the need for educating people about ill-effects of drug abuse and other social evils. Other opinion leaders and government functionaries, who spoke on the occasion, lauded the role of DAHWA for holding this event which greatly helps the rural masses get information about the government programmes and policies besides promoting the spot in the tourism map. He said that through this Mela DAHWA is also helping in preservation of our incredible cultural heritage through presentation of traditional cultural programmes.
The government departments of the district including Health, Agriculture, Rural Development, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Horticulture, established their stalls which aimed at creating awareness about government schemes among rural people. They also distributed literature on schemes of their respective departments.
Officers and representatives of various departments highlighted their services and schemes with focus on programmes like Swachya Bharat Mission.
