Social work key to national development: Sonia

Uchahar, Rae Bareli, Oct 17 (UNI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said social work was one of the means to develop India into a better society.

''Those who care and serve the society are successful by all means,'' she observed. The Rae Bareli MP claimed it was late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's dream to develop India into a society where backward and poor people are given their dues.

Addressing a function to mark the conclusion of the medical camp organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) through Lifeline Express, Ms Gandhi said it is not the work of the governments alone to serve the society, The NGOs and social groups should also take the lead in the field.

Admitting that at present, only a few voluntary organisations were venturing areas where lots of work needs to be done, Ms Gandhi said RGF has taken an initiative to explore such areas.

Besides, these organisations can make the people aware about community participation for development works, which is the need of the day, she added.

Narrating in detail about the RGF activities, Ms Gandhi said several projects were under way though theorganisation was witnessing financial crunch. ''It is an achievement that the foundation is doing its work without any publicity,'' she added.

The Foundation is running 1,300 village libraries for school children in 21 states, taking care of education and livelihood of 1,400 children who have lost their parents to terrorism.

The RGF has constructed small dams to store water in water-deficit regions of Rajasthan.

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