Bhagalpur: Sanjay Pahariya, 56, and his wife Mili Devi, both from the Soriya Pahariya community, have been selected to attend the ‘Griha Satkar’ ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Aug 15, where they will meet President Droupadi Murmu.The ceremony, being organised under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) of the ministry of tribal affairs, is part of the Independence Day celebrations aimed at highlighting grassroots empowerment and the delivery of welfare schemes to tribal communities.The couple, residents of Kutubpur in Ramzanipur panchayat under Antichak police station area of Kahalgaon block in Bhagalpur district, were selected as beneficiaries representing the Pahariya community.Sanjay works as an accountant with a Jeevika self-help group, while Mili is a Jeevika worker and is also known as Laxmi Mata in her social circles.Kahalgaon block development officer Rajiv Ranjan said the couple were selected under the initiative to showcase community development and the successful implementation of welfare schemes in rural and tribal areas.“The selection was made through the official beneficiary lists and guidelines for community representation from rural and tribal areas,” Ranjan said.Mili will also meet the President at the cultural centre of Rashtrapati Bhawan, he said.Ranjan said the nominations were made following a letter from the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare department, Bihar, issued on the directives of the ministry of tribal affairs. Two beneficiaries from tribal communities were to be selected to represent their communities at the ceremony and motivate others to benefit from welfare initiatives.The DA-JGUA seeks to develop tribal-majority villages by addressing gaps in health, education and infrastructure and bringing tribal communities into the mainstream. The ‘Griha Satkar’ initiative also seeks to recognise beneficiaries of housing and other development schemes, rural achievers, traditional art practitioners and those involved in ecological conservation.
