Tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reviews Aspirational District Programme in Soreng

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">SORENG, (IPR):</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif"> Union Minister of Culture & Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat participated in an interactive programme with the HODs of the district at Rurban Complex, Soreng today on the second day of his visit to Soreng district. The programme witnessed the presence of public representatives, district officials, stakeholders and students. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">The programme began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Union minister, followed by a welcome song presentation by the students of Government B. Ed. College, Soreng.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">In his address, the Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed his gratitude at being present in Soreng district and described the occasion as a fortunate opportunity to witness the natural beauty, cultural prosperity, modesty, and discipline of the people of the state, which he termed as a strong sign of hope for the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">The Union minister further elaborated on the vision of “Viksit Bharat” envisioned by the Prime Minister of India, stating that the collective determination and participation of every citizen would be instrumental in achieving the mission. He highlighted the challenges faced by several districts across the country and explained that the Aspirational District Programme was introduced to bridge developmental gaps through a focused and competitive approach aimed at accelerating growth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">He informed that the programme is guided by 48 key performance indicators and driven by the three core principles of convergence, collaboration, and competition. The minister highlighted key focus areas including health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development, and infrastructure development.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Shekhawat stated that the nation is presently witnessing a transformative phase and urged all stakeholders to actively contribute towards the vision of a developed India. He encouraged the district administration, public representatives, and citizens to work collectively so that aspirational districts may evolve into inspirational districts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Highlighting the importance of the North Eastern region, the Union minister stated that the perception of the North East has significantly transformed over the years and that the region is now increasingly being recognised as an important growth engine of the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Speaking on tourism, he stressed the need to align tourism development with changing global perceptions and emerging trends. He emphasised the promotion of nature-based tourism, wellness tourism, event-based tourism, and experiential tourism as key areas with immense potential for the region.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Concluding his address, Shekhawat reiterated the nation’s commitment towards self-reliance and urged citizens to remain conscious of unnecessary expenditure leading to foreign currency outflow. He expressed his best wishes to Soreng District and encouraged all stakeholders to work towards transforming the district from aspirational to inspirational.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">During an interaction session with SHGs, students, and Anganwadi workers, he enquired on their work, awareness, and existing challenges while offering suggestions and encouragement. The Union minister acknowledged the achievements of Soreng District and emphasised the need to achieve 100 percent saturation of the identified performance indicators through focused implementation and effective last-mile delivery. He also highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship and spoke on various government initiatives supporting start-ups and self-employment, noting India’s emergence as one of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Stressing the region’s potential in organic produce and international markets, he encouraged the promotion and recognition of successful local entrepreneurs to inspire entrepreneurial aspirations among the youth. The Union minister further underlined the importance of responsible and experience-based tourism, stating that tourism growth depends not only on infrastructure but also on the quality of visitor experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Earlier, Soreng-Chakung MLA Aditya Golay, welcomed Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and highlighted the significance of the Aspirational District Programme. He also spoke about the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Sikkim, describing it as a major highlight and a positive feedback for the State. Expressing gratitude for Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s presence, he thanked him for his visit to Soreng district. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">District collector Dhiraj Subedi delivered the welcome address and presented introductory notes on Soreng district whereby he talked on the aspirational district programme and its current status. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">A presentation on the overall report of the Aspirational District and Aspirational Block Programme was made by Additional District Collector DR Bista. He discussed the detailed figures and the status of the report.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Soreng SDM Sakchum Lepcha, followed by the National Anthem.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">The programme was also attended by Zoom-Salghari MLA Madan Cintury and Rinchenpong MLA Erung Tenzing Lepcha, along with ITS vice chairman C.P. Sharma, Tourism secretary Hondala Gyaltsen, advisors, chairpersons, OSDs and head of offices.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Later in the day, the Union minister visited Yamuna Falls, Vrindavan Dham at Dodak and Sikkim Khadi and Village Industries Board Woollen Weaving Centre at Dodak, where he interacted with members of the board as well as panchayat members of GPU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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