Pranab Mukherjee exhorts people to embark on cleanliness drive

Kirnahar, Oct 9 President Pranab Mukherjee today exhorted people to take pledge for a cleanliness drive while addressing a gathering at his ancestral place Kirnahar in Birbhum district where he is staying for Durga Puja.

Mukherjee, who earlier in the day chanted slokas and offered anjali to the Goddess, was addressing a big gathering for 'Nirmal Birbhum' and 'Mission Nirmal Bangla' organised by Intensive Khadi and Rural Development Centre.

"Together we can clean this big country. We must take pledge to follow the cleanliness measures," he said. Similar programmes took place in 500 Durga puja pandals across the district where local officials and leaders participated.

In the Kirnahar programme, District Magistrate P Mohangandhi and Superintendent of Police Sudheer Nilakantam were present. Coming to the khadi industry, Mukherjee said there is great scope to tap the expanding market but for that building a skilled workforce is a pre-condition.

"In the near future 50 per cent population of this country will be below 25 years. In comparison to other countries India will be younger. It is an advantage for our country and if we can't train our young people properly we can't ... bridge demand-supply gap in the increasing market," Mukherjee said.

Advocating quality training, he felt interaction with industry and production as per market demand can boost the Khadi industry. This would be the fifth Durga puja for Pranab Mukherjee after being sworn in as the President of India.

PTI