568-kg ladoo cut on Modi’s 68th Birthday

ONI Bureau:  Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday unveiled a huge ladoo weighing 568 kg at an event organised in New Delhi to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 68th birthday.

The ladoo was cut by Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International social service organization, which has been celebrating September 17 as “Swachhta Diwas” since 2015.

The organisation also held a photography exhibition at Constitution Club in the national capital, showcasing the works done by Modi. Two coffee table books on his life were also launched at the event.

“This week — till September 25 — will be celebrated as ‘Seva Week’. We are soon coming up with a scheme to pay hospital expenses of the poor and to create health awareness in a way that people don’t fall ill,” Human Resource Development Minister Javadekar said at the event organised here by Sulabh International.

Javadekar said that things in the area of sanitation have been improving “gradually”. “Earlier, there was only 30 per cent toilet coverage in the country. After the Prime Minister took initiatives, it went up to 90 per cent.”

He added: “450 lakh villages got open defecation free, 20 states got open defecation free… When we celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary (October 2) next year, India will have 100 per cent toilet coverage. There will be cleanliness and health.”

Naqvi tweeted that the Prime Minister “has been working with the commitment to Clean India, Healthy India”.

“Swachh Bharat Abhiyan #SwachhtaHiSeva has today become an effective mission with the participation and passion of common people of the country,” he said. (IANS)