The Delhi government will launch a month-long public service campaign, ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, from September 17 to October 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Monday.
The campaign will feature a range of public welfare and outreach initiatives, including blood donation drives, health camps for senior citizens, worker registration, cleanliness campaigns and plantation programmes.
Addressing a press conference, Gupta said development projects worth around ₹13,820 crore would also be inaugurated or have their foundation stones laid during the campaign.
She said the initiative was aimed at turning the Prime Minister’s birthday into a month dedicated to public service and outreach, with the spirit of service placed at the centre of governance.
The campaign will begin on September 17 with a mega blood donation camp organised by the Health Department, with a target of collecting 2,500 units of blood in a single day.
Health check-up camps will also be organised for around 25,000 senior citizens across Delhi in coordination with the Health and Social Welfare departments.
The Labour Department will conduct registration and health check-ups for workers and construction workers, helping eligible beneficiaries access welfare schemes and government services.
A key initiative will be the launch of Delhi’s State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) platform, aimed at creating awareness about organ donation and encouraging people to register as donors.
The Women and Child Development Department will also undertake welfare activities for children living in child care centres.
Yamuna rejuvenation, plantation drives to get focus
The Yamuna will be a major focus of the campaign, with projects worth approximately ₹8,000 crore related to cleaning and rejuvenating the river scheduled to be inaugurated or have their foundation stones laid.
The government will also conduct cleanliness drives along the Yamuna and across wards and Assembly constituencies.
Under the ‘Clean Delhi, Green Delhi’ initiative, the Environment Department has set a target of planting 70 lakh trees and saplings, with plantation drives planned in every ward.
Young people will be engaged through the ‘Mere Sapnon Ka Bharat’ competition, featuring painting, speech and reel-making contests based on the India they envision.
The government expects around five lakh students from nearly 5,000 schools to participate. Students from Delhi government, private, municipal and New Delhi Municipal Council schools, along with university students, will be included.
On the evening of September 17, the ‘Aashirwad ka Diya’ programme will be organised, under which beneficiaries across Delhi will light lamps at their homes to mark the Prime Minister’s birthday.
Seva Setu camps across 70 constituencies
The ‘Seva Setu Abhiyan’ will see three-day camps organised in all 70 Assembly constituencies. Officials from various departments will be available at the camps to explain Central and Delhi government schemes, assist eligible residents with registrations and facilitate access to government services.
The government will also organise ‘Sushasan Seva Samvad’ sessions, providing residents an opportunity to interact directly with officials and learn about government projects, schemes and governance initiatives.
An ‘Innovation Challenge’ will provide young innovators with a platform to showcase their ideas. Delhi is among five centres selected nationally for the initiative, with participants from neighbouring states also connected to the Delhi centre.
Under ‘Seva Ke Rang, Rashtra Ke Sang’, rangoli and mandala art activities will be organised around themes of national unity, education and environmental protection. A large human rangoli involving thousands of participants is also planned.
The campaign will also recognise Delhi’s anganwadi workforce. Under ‘Aangan Ka Milan’, all anganwadi workers will be felicitated. Delhi has 10,897 anganwadi centres and around 21,350 anganwadi workers, according to the government.
A ‘Seva Jyoti Kalash Yatra’ will also be organised with participation from public representatives and citizens.
Development projects worth ₹13,820 crore planned
Beyond welfare activities, the campaign will showcase the Delhi government’s development agenda, with projects worth approximately ₹13,820 crore across different departments scheduled for inauguration or foundation stone laying during the month.
Gupta also highlighted major infrastructure projects in Delhi and the surrounding region undertaken during PM Modi’s tenure, including the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Dwarka Expressway, UER-2 and the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways.
According to the Chief Minister, infrastructure projects approved, under implementation or proposed for Delhi during the Prime Minister’s tenure have a combined value of around ₹12.25 lakh crore.
She also cited projects such as Jewar Airport, the Regional Rapid Transit System, expansion of the Delhi Metro and the signal-free corridor at Dhaula Kuan, along with venues including Yashobhoomi and Bharat Mandapam.
Gupta said the expansion of infrastructure had strengthened Delhi’s connectivity and enhanced its capacity to host major international events, including the recently held 18th BRICS Summit.
The Chief Minister also extended birthday wishes to PM Modi and expressed hope that he would remain healthy and continue serving the country. (ANI)
