2 days Ago By Mid-day
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday will celebrate the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Festival across the state and during the festival, it has planned to introduce the ‘Ideal Village’ concept, an official statement said.The festival will be celebrated from April 22 to April 25, 2025 and will focus on rural development, skill training, and inclusive growth, it said.The statement said that the Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha announced that all Maharashtra government departments, along with district administrations, have been asked to participate actively to ensure the success of the event.
As part of the celebration, the concept of ‘Ideal Village’ will be implemented, the officials said.The state Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has instructed all state departments and district-level authorities to ensure the successful execution of the event, they said.The official statement said that a Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay festival committee has been formed by the state government to oversee the festival.
The festival is based on Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s philosophy of Antyodaya, which aims to uplift the last person in society, it said."A meeting regarding the preparations was recently held at the Mantralaya under the leadership of Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, where Lodha, along with top officials from various departments such as Skill Development, Tribal Development, Tourism, Women and Child Welfare, and Education, were present. District Collectors from all over the state also joined the meeting via video conferencing," the statement said.
Sujata Saunik emphasised that district collectors must form local-level committees as per government guidelines to ensure the festival’s success in every district, the official statement said.It said that Maharashtra will be the first state in the country to begin celebrations of this kind, Lodha said during the meeting.A special state-level committee has been formed for the festival, with Lodha being the chairperson, the statement said.
It further said that to spread awareness among students and citizens, the government will distribute one lakh booklets based on Pandit Upadhyay’s thoughts and philosophy in each district.The festival will also promote skill development activities in rural schools, Anganwadis, and self-help groups, it said..
