President of India Attends Civic Reception Hosted by Government of Madhya Pradesh; Lays Foundation Stones for Projects of Union Ministries of Defence and Road Transport and Highways

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, attended the civic reception hosted in her honour by the Government of Madhya Pradesh at Raj Bhavan Bhopal this evening (November 15, 2022). On the occasion, she, virtually, laid the foundation stones for the ‘Maximum Micro-biological Containment Laboratory’ of DRDO at Gwalior and Ratapani-Itarsi road project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Addressing the gathering, the President said thatthe people of Madhya Pradesh have made invaluable contributions to Indian culture and developmental journey. On the one hand Madhya Pradesh has unique natural beauty and on the other it has a very rich spiritual and cultural heritage. From the great poet Kalidas and Sangeet Samrat Tansen to Lata Mangeshkar many talents were born on this land. The former President of India, Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma was the son of this soil. The birthplace of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar is in Mhow. Former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji's brilliant personality and glorious political life initially developed in Madhya Pradesh itself.

The President said thatthere are many attractive historical places in Madhya Pradesh. The Jyotirlingas of Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar, the Simhastha Kumbh of Ujjain, origin of Narmada and temple of the first Jain Tirthankar Rishabhdev in Amarkantak, the exile place of Lord Shri Rama in Chitrakoot, underline the spiritual importance of Madhya Pradesh.

The President noted that Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country in terms of area. There are many national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves in the state. She said that wildlife enthusiasts are very excited about the recent relocation of cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park. She wished for the success of a campaign to rehabilitate the extinct cheetahs from the country.

The President noted that Indore city got the award for the cleanest city 6^thtime in a row and Madhya Pradesh won the award for the cleanest state in the 'Swachh Survekshan 2022'. Moreover, in the ranking of 100 cleanest cities with more than one lakh population, 30 cities are in Madhya Pradesh. She said that this success is an effective example of awareness and active public participation. She appreciated the people of Madhya Pradesh for strengthening the culture of cleanliness in the state. She said that their efforts for cleanliness are exemplary for all.

The President said that Madhya Pradesh has established the new dimensions of inclusive development. The state has made impressive achievements on many parameters of development. The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Madhya Pradesh has increased by almost three and a half times in the last one decade. It ranks among the leading states in the production of food grains. The agricultural growth rate has increased by an average of 20 per cent in the last four years. She appreciated the Government of Madhya Pradesh for the overall development of the state and expressed confidence that the journey of development of Madhya Pradesh would move forward at a faster pace and the benefits of that development would reach all sections of the people of the state.