Bhubaneswar: Twelve members of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSC) from nine districts of Odisha have been invited as special guests to attend the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
Official sources said that the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti extended the invitation to these VWSC members from Cuttack, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Nuapada, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Ganjam, and Balasore districts.
Their recognition comes as a result of their exemplary contributions under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative aimed at ensuring safe and adequate drinking water supply to rural households through tap connections by 2024.
Odisha’s Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department shared the information in a social media post, highlighting the outstanding work of the VWSC members in achieving the mission’s objectives and improving rural water supply systems.
Apart from the VWSC members, two persons from Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district — Kiran Dagara from Ward No. 10 and Ramjit Tudu from Govindpur village under Badampahar police limits — have been invited to the Republic Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. They have been invited in recognition of their contributions to their communities.
These invitations underscore the significant role of grassroots efforts in national missions and the importance of community participation in driving sustainable development.
