Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday began her four-day visit to home State Odisha by offering prayers at the Maa Kichakeswari temple in Mayurbhanj district.
Accompanied by her daughter Itishree Murmu, Governor Raghubar Das and Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu, among others, the President visited the eighth-century temple at Khiching.
She performed ‘Aarti’ before Goddess Kichakeswari, worshipped in the form of Chamunda or Kali, the presiding deity of the region.
The President, along with her Rashtrapati Bhavan staffers, also partook ‘Prasad’ on banana leaves by sitting on the floor of the temple, priests at the place of worship said.
On the way to the temple, hundreds of school-children waved flags and tribals greeted the President with their traditional music and dance.
After visiting the temple at Khiching, the President moved towards her hometown Rairangpur, where she laid the foundation of a Central Government Holiday Home and Sports Complex. She also virtually laid foundation stones for various road projects and inaugurated Eklavya Model Residential School, Barasahi.
Addressing the gathering, the President said that the Government of India is giving priority to the development of tribal areas and the progress of tribal brothers and sisters.
With emphasis on expansion of electricity and roads in tribal dominated areas, the process of providing tap water to tribal families has also started.
She stated that a national mission has been launched to eradicate sickle cell anemia from which generations of tribal fraternity are suffering.
Shrimati Murmu urged people to be aware of the various schemes for their welfare and become their beneficiaries. She said that development is not possible without their efforts.
The President further said that education is very important for the development of society. That’s why the Government is opening the Eklavya Model Residential schools for tribal students. She stated that even though the government is establishing schools, it is the responsibility of parents to send the children to school.
Women empowerment is necessary for an empowered society. Therefore, the Government is implementing various schemes to make women financially self-reliant. But only with the cooperation and partnership of everyone, 100 percent benefits of government schemes will be able to reach the beneficiaries, she stated.
The first citizen of India expressed confidence that road projects that were initiated today will ensure safe travel. The construction of the Sports Complex will provide better sports opportunities for the youth. She said that after the construction of the Holiday Home, people will be encouraged to come to Rairangpur. It will also provide employment to local people, Murmu added.
During her four-day visit, the President is scheduled to attend a series of programmes in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Cuttack, and Khurda districts.