AT Photo
North Lakhimpur, Sept 20: The Amrit Kalash Yatra (AKY), the nationwide campaign to collect soil from every household of the country to be deposited in a national memorial kickstarted today in Lakhimpur district. It began with the collection of handful of soil from Kutuhaguri village of the Madhya Telahi Gaon Panchayats in Telahi Rural Development Block of the district. The soil collection ceremony was attended by Lakhimpur MLA Manab Deka, Lakhimpur DC Sumit Sattawan and other officials.
Earlier an awareness meeting on AKY was organized by the Lakhimpur district administration at North Lakhimpur College (Autonomous). Chaired by Nivenita Dutta, Chairperson, NL Municipality Board and moderated by Senior Assistant, District Commissioner Office, Junuma Koch, the District Commissioner, Sumit Chattawan explained the entire functioning of the AKY under Meri Mati, Mera Desh campaign.
The DC informed that 200 to 300 persons of the village will carry the soil/rice collected from each household in a pitcher and arrive at the Gaon Panchayat/Municipal Office at 11 pm in a procession on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Freedom fighters, retired personnel from the armed forces, central paramilitary officers, Assam Police of the region who have rendered exemplary services to the country will be honoured on that day.
After the functions in nine development blocks of the district the pitchers would be moved to the Block Development Officer's Office in a procession of 200/300 persons on either October 8 or 15.
The soil deposited at BDO offices would be put inside two metal pitches provided by the state and be sent to the state level function scheduled to be held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati on October 25, said DC Sattawan.
He further informed that a total of 270 urns collected at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra would be sent to Delhi by selected youths will travel on October 28.
In Delhi, the soil would be taken to the Amrit Batika Park near National War Memorial where a memorial would be erected.
The meeting was attended by local MLA Manab Deka, district BJP president Phanidhar Barua, North Lakhimpur College (Autonomous) Principal Dr. Biman Chetia, District Development Commissioner Utpal Bora, Dhakuwakhona Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kartik Kalita, Additional Superintendent of Police Laba Kumar Deka, and Gaon Panchayat Presidents and Ward Commissioners.
