BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday exhorted Rotary International to assist the Government in bringing about transformative changes in aspirational districts across the country. Interacting with prominent members of Rotary International in different countries, Pradhan said the basic objective of the aspirational district programme is to aid rapid change in 115 districts including ten in Odisha in terms of health, nutrition, agriculture and water resources, education, infrastructure, financial inclusion and skill development.
The broad contours of the programme are convergence and collaboration of central and state schemes to nudge districts to perform better. “Skilling, especially in the digital space has assumed greater importance today. I urged Rotary to take bigger initiatives in this sector to help enhance digital literacy and skills in our youths to prepare them for the future,” Pradhan tweeted. Noting that digital divide has reared its ugly head amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, he said, “All of us can play a part in bridging this digital divide by donating our old, unused digital equipment to the underprivileged to help the less fortunate ones with means to stay connected.”
Appreciating the role played by the international social service organisation, he said the Rotary family has been working tirelessly to support and strengthen India’s fight against the pandemic. He discussed several aspects of the Covid-19 situation in the sub-continent and its impact on human health and economies.
President of Rotary Internation Shekhar Mehta, Ramesh Agarwal and prominent members of the organisation from different countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan participated in the discussion.