PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN ON BHARAT NIRMAN PROGRAMMES

Guwahati, July, 28, 2006

Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Guwahati is organising a five day Public Information Campaign on Bharat Nirman Programmes from 8th to 12th August, 2006 at Ganesh Mandir Udyan, Ganeshguri, Guwahati. The campaign will be jointly inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Assam Shri Tarun Gogoi and Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Shri Santosh Mohan Dev at 10 a.m.

The Campaign is being launched as per decision taken at the level of Principal Secretary to Prime Minister to organize public awareness events throughout the country on six flagship programmes of UPA Government. These programmes are Bharat Nirman, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Rural Health Mission, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan with Universalized Mid-day Meal Programme, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and Right to Information Act.

The themes for the campaign at Guwahati will be the JNNURM, NRHM, RTI Act and SSA including Universal Mid-day Meal Programme.

The overall objective of the campaign is (a) empowering poor and illiterate living in rural areas and remote places by giving them access to information on proactive basis on various policies and programmes under the flagship schemes, (b) to make people aware of the rights and responsibilities and also motivate them to participate and get benefit of the schemes, (c) to record success stories of both the direct and indirect benefits accrued by implementation of the policies and programmes of the Central government and (d) creating a network of information channels/vehicles for faster and sustainable flow of information to the public.

Apart from PIB, all the media units of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, viz., DAVP, DFP, Song & Drama Division and Prasar Bharati will participate. In addition to this Banks, Public Sector Undertakings, Local elected representatives, NGOs, Youth Organizations, Media, prominent citizens and general public will participate in the campaign. All the State Government departments involved in the implementation and execution of the above mentioned flagship programmes are being associated with the campaign.

The Technical Session on the flagship programmes of Bharat Nirman will be held at the Central Venue. Along with DAVP, 11 exhibition stalls by different departments/NGOs will also be put up. Every evening, there will be film shows and cultural programmes by DFP and Song & Drama Division in the central venue. Moreover, field based programmes on these themes by the Directorate of Field Publicity will be carried out in 45 villages of three blocks of Kamrup district. Song and Drama Division will organize programmes in 40 villages of four blocks of Kamrup district. These programmes will be marked by public rallies, public meetings, inter-personal communication, health camps and cultural programmes.

After the inaugural programme on 8th August, 2006 the session on JNNURM will be held in which presentations by representatives of Guwahati Development Department and Union Urban Development Ministry will be made. Guwahati Development Department minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sharma will be present as the Chief Guest. The technical session on NRHM will be held on 9th August, 2006 in which representatives from central and state governments will participate. On 10th August, 2006, Shri Ripun Bora, Education Minister, Assam will be Chief Guest for the session on SSA and Universal Mid-day Meal Scheme. State Chief Information Commissioner, Assam will be the Chief Guest of the Technical Session on RTI Act, on 11th August, 2006. The concluding function on 12th August, 2006 will be attended by Shri Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Shri Rockybul Hussain, Minister of Information & Public Relations, Forests etc.

Bn/rsk/nc