Khargone: The Namani Devi Narmade Seva Yatra led by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived at Kasrawad village of Khargone district on Sunday amidst grand welcome by thousands of devotees and villagers.
The CM accompanied by the Indian women hockey team, walked four kilometre with the yatra. Around 75 thousand devotees took part in the yatra on Sunday. Minister for panchayat and rural development Gopal Bhargava was also present on the occasion.
At Navdatoudi situated on Narmada bank near Kasrawad, Chouhan addressed a ‘Jan-Sanvad’ programme and hailed the sense of social harmony he witnesses at different places on the route of the yatra covered till date. He said that though the yatra was initiated by the state government, people have actually brought honour to it in real sense. He further said that apart from state government, it is also the responsibility of every citizen to keep the banks of the holy river clean.
Appreciating the women hockey team, which recently bagged gold medal in a championship in Singapore, CM Chouhan said that Indian daughters have brought laurels and made the country proud in the field of hockey. He also announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh, increasing the amount by Rs 2 lakh, for the players. In her address, Indian women hockey team captain Sushila Chanu praised the Narmada sanitation campaign and urged people to make it a success.
The yatra, dubbed as the biggest river conservation campaign of the world by the CM, has been supported by Bollywood star actor Amitabh Bachchan and play back singer Lata Mangeshkar. Moreover, the yatra is getting support from abroad as well.
