Kolkata, Sep 10: The West Bengal government will initiate the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' across the state to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17 along with the rest of India, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday.
He said that several other programmes will also be held to mark Modi's 25 years in continuous executive office as the Chief Minister and Prime Minister on October 7.
Adhikari chaired a preparatory meeting at Nabanna, the state administrative headquarters, with ministers, MLAs and officials.
After the meeting, the chief minister said his government will hold the 'Ashirbadon ki Diya' programme after sundown by lighting diyas on September 17 on the occasion of the PM's birthday.
"This programme will be held across West Bengal with more than one crore families participating," he said, adding that the main event will be held in Kolkata on the banks of the river Hooghly.
Adhikari said that government and heritage buildings, including the Nabanna, Victoria Memorial Hall, the previous state secretariat Writers Buildings and various places of faith like the Kalighat Temple will be lit with diyas on September 17.
He said that students from over 80,000 schools across West Bengal will participate in drawing, elocution, debate, and quiz contests as part of the 'Bacchon ke Sapnon ka Bharat' programme to describe their thoughts and dreams about what a developed India should look like in 2047.
The chief minister said that the programme will also include the benefits received by the people on account of various welfare initiatives of the government, including PM Awaas, Ayushman Bharat and PM Suryaghar.
"Cycle, motorbike rallies and padyatras will also be held on the occasion on September 17," he said.
Adhikari said that programmes to mark Narendra Modi's 25 years in continuous executive office as Chief Minister and Prime Minister will be held on October 7.
Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001, and held the post till he became the Prime Minister in 2014.
Adhikari said the state government will hold public programmes in every district headquarters to mark the occasion.
The CM said that the PM will address all the districts of the nation through virtual mode on October 7.
The chief minister said that cleanliness drives and blood donation camps will also be undertaken on that day.
He said that the state's Tourism and Forest departments will together take up the making of a 108-metre "Bharat Mandal" art installation as part of the nationwide 'Rangoli Rashtra' and 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' initiative.
"We will hold the eastern leg of the Rashtriya Innovation Challenge at Netaji Indoor Stadium here," he said.
The chief minister said that Thursday's meeting decided to hold the programmes with excellence and in a competitive mode vis-a-vis other states of the country.
Adhikari said that with bypolls scheduled to be held in Nandigram and Rejinagar, government programmes will not be held in these two constituencies as per the Model Code of Conduct, but political, private and social organisations can hold these programmes there.
