GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 72 on Saturday, with several events being organized across the country to mark the occasion. The Prime Minister has a busy schedule for the day as various events have been planned - from releasing cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park to delivering important speeches at four events.
PM Modi launched the project Cheetah at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, in an ambitious effort to reintroduce the big cats in India seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country. He released cheetahs flown in from Namibia into a special enclosure at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh. Eight cheetahs were brought to Gwalior from Namibia in a special plane as part of the cheetah reintroduction programme. The animals were later flown to the KNP, located in the Sheopur district, in two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters
Moreover, BJP has made plans to make PM Modi's birthday historic. While the party aims to create a record of maximum COVID-19 vaccine inoculations, it will also embark on 21-day "Seva and Samarpan" campaign.
"There will be exhibitions throughout the country on the life and leadership of PM Modi. Party president JP Nadda will inaugurate the exhibition at BJP headquarter and a similar type of exhibition will be there in other states too," he said while addressing the media.
He said that the party will dedicate the Prime Minister's birthday to the welfare of the poor in the form of a 'Seva Pakhwada'. "The celebration will be in three categories. First, Sewa, in which health camps, blood donation camps, vaccinations centres, etc. Our workers will be on booths in these camps to help people in getting done their booster dose and health checkups," he said.
"PM Modi's vision of TB-free India by 2025 will also be included in this. Our leaders and workers will adopt a patient for a year and keep a routine check on their health and need," he added.
The party will also carry out a cleanliness drive on the occasion along with planting trees.
"Cleanliness drive will be carried out. PM Modi always focuses on cleanliness therefore there will be many cleanliness drives will be taken. Also, we will plant 10 lakh peepal trees at our booths as peepal tree is a great source of oxygen," he said.
Leaders from across party lines and heads of countries extended greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is celebrating his 72nd birthday today, September 17, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Droupadi Murmu and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among those who wished the Prime Minister.
Moreover, a large number of people send their wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday using the NaMo App from where wishes can be sent to PM Modi by recording a video message or a photo that can be directly uploaded on the app. which added special modules this year for birthday wishes. The users can choose Gift or Seva on the occasion of PM Modi's birthday. The users will also be able to pick moments from PM Modi's life that they most connect with from the virtual exhibition hosted on NaMo App and create a short video that can be shared on social media using the app.
Notably, over 1,000 items ranging from shawls to sports items that the prime minister received as gifts would be auctioned and the proceeds would be used for the cause of conserving the holy River Ganga.
Ahead of Modi's birthday, Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy along with ministerial colleagues Meenakshi Lekhi and Arjun Ram Meghwal shared details of the items to be auctioned.
Addressing a press conference, Reddy said, "Our Honourable PM Narendra Modi has paved a new path in the service of our nation. This year, around 1,222 mementos will be auctioned at the PM Mementos Auction."
"The items include shawls and angavstras to sports items gifted to our Hon'ble PM Modi by our champions voluntarily. The item starts from as low as Rs100 to Rs5 lakh. The total base price of all the items combined is approximately Rs 2.7 crore," he added.
Modi is the first ever Prime Minister of India, who has decided to auction all the gifts he receives for a noble cause of conserving the lifeline of the country, the river Ganges through Namami Gange, minister Reddy said.
"The money raised from the online auction will be used to further the worthy goal of protecting the country's lifeblood, the holy river Ganga," he added.
The auction of these gift items from September 17 to October 2 will be the fourth of the series of successful auctions, first launched by the prime minister in January 2019.
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