A gift on Children's Day: 'Kitabi Magic'

New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) As a 'Children's Day' gift, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today launched 'Kitabi Magic', an initiative to encourage children to read and participate in reading related activities.

Ms Dikshit said books have always played an integral part in people's lives.

Talking about the programme, she said the major focus of ''Kitabi Magic'' was to put a ''Kitab'' (book) in every child's hand.

''Every student in a classroom will be given a book and comics, which they can keep with them for a week or more if they desire. The best part of this is that no extra furniture or expenditure other than on books will be required.'' She said one student in each class will be designated as the Monitor-in-charge for every week so that every child is involved.

As part of the programmes dedicated to Pandit Nehru's birth anniversary, the Chief Minister inaugurated a polio corrective surgery and rehabilitation programme at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsayalaya in Trans Yamuna area.

She also unveiled a statue of the first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, to whom children were very dear, on the occasion of Children's Day.

Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsayalaya, which is affiliated to Maulana Azad Medical College, is a state-of-the-art super speciality paediatric hospital. It registered patients in the age group of three to 15 years at a corrective surgery camp on the occasion of Children's Day.

The hospital would continue to register patients after November 14 and they would be covered under the scheme to provide financial assistance for polio affected children for corrective surgery and fitting of aids and appliances.

The camp has been organised in collaboration with Rotary International and World Health Organisation.

The Day was also celebrated in all the schools in the Capital with lot of enthusiasm.

Various activities like essay competitions, elocution and drawing competitions relating to children's perspective on their rights were also held. The entries will receive awards on Annual Days' of their respective schools.

At a function at the Delhi Congress office, MPs from Delhi Dr Karan Singh, Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, Kapil Sibal and Krishna Tirath were honoured with shawls.

UNI