In the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ a Media Tour was organised under Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra by Press Information Bureau, Mumbai, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. Seven media persons each from Uttarakhand and Odisha were on a visit to Maharashtra from 8^th January 2024 to 13^th January 2024 to observe the progress of the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the State of Maharashtra, learn about various developmental projects in the State and also soak in the rich culture and spirit of Maharashtra in course of their stay here.

In the first leg of their tour the journalists arrived in the city of Pune. In Pune they visited Film and Television Institute of India and gathered detailed information about film courses and film production subjects like acting, direction, art direction, writing, editing and music.

Through a heritage walk conducted by Pune Municipal Corporation the journalists got an opportunity to see the rich history and cultural heritage of Pune.

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation introduced the journalists to their unique governance model, the award winning, Smart City Sarathi App &  also showed them the Corporation’s waste to energy project.

Finally the media delegation visited Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology in Pune and learn about the role of the institute in safeguarding public health and its most recent efforts against the Covid pandemic.

Thereafter the media delegation from Uttarakhand and Odisha proceeded to Lonavala. In Lonavala they visited  INS Shivaji,  the premier technical establishment which comes under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy and has a very vital role to play in training Combat-worthy-technical-personnel required to man our ships, dockyards and maintenance Units. During this visit journalists from various media houses gathered information about the technical knowledge and practical skills taught to the officers, cadets and sailors by the institute.

In the pleasant climate and environment of  Lonavala the journalists also got an opportunity to immerse in yoga and meditation at Kaivalyadhama, a Centenarian Yoga Institution based at Lonavala and having its branches across the world.

 

On the final leg of their journey the journalists from Odisha and Uttarakhand arrived in Mumbai. They began their stay in Mumbai with a visit to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority where they witnessed the cargo handling and functioning of the premier container port of South Asia and also learnt about the importance of such infrastructure in India’s economy.

It was an honour for the journalists from Odisha and Uttarakhand to then call-on the Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Ramesh Bais, at the Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. The visit enabled the journalists to seek the Hon’ble Governor’s guidance on various important issues such as current trends in the media and development initiatives in different states of India.  The journalists also narrated to the Governor the different experiences they have had on media tour so far and their learnings from it. On the occasion, the journalists also had an opportunity to visit the famed Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan.

 

 

The day in Mumbai ended for the journalists with a Mumbai Darshan tour facilitated by India Tourism, where through enthralling stories, they learnt about history, tradition, culture and evolution of the maximum city – Mumbai.

 While in Mumbai the journalists visited the regional office of PIB in Maharashtra – PIB Mumbai and interacted with Additional Director General Smita Vats Sharma who spoke to them about the organisation’s work in the region, its contribution in providing information in the regional language, its digital presence and its developmental communication initiatives.

The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) next interacted with the journalists and showed them the functioning of its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The EOC functions round the clock throughout the year as a single-point source for all issues related to disaster management. The visit also enabled the journalists to witness the BMC HQ. The magnificent and spectacular 128 years old heritage building in the heart of Mumbai is indeed an architectural marvel.

Thereafter the journalists proceeded to Film city and had an opportunity to witness the real behind the reel.

On the final day of the media tour, the journalists visited the National Museum of Indian Cinema which showcases history of India Cinema and has ample artefacts, digital elements including kiosks, interactive digital screens, information based screen interfaces, etc.

 

Mumbai also provided the journalists an opportunity to observe the progress of Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the capital city of Maharashtra. The media part witnessed the working of the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra van in Goregaon West region of Mumbai. Stationed near a busy junction, the media persons watched as the van and its stalls not only provided information to citizens regarding various Government welfare schemes, but also facilitated enrolment to schemes and updation of KYC requirements for various schemes apart from health check ups. Here the journalists also interacted with scheme beneficiaries to know how this unique initiative that has brought governance to the citizens doorstep is helping uplift the poor and the vulnerable.

A total of 19 Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra urban vans are operating in Maharashtra which have covered almost 23 districts till date.  Almost 1350 urban events have been conducted in Maharashtra till date.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is gaining momentum across the nation to raise awareness through outreach activities and achieve saturation of various welfare schemes launched by the Government of India. The Yatra was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15, 2023 from Khunti, Jharkhand with multiple Information, Education and Communication (IEC) vans launched simultaneously from various locations across the country. By January 25, 2024, the Yatra aims to cover over 2.60 lakh Gram Panchayats and 4000+ Urban Local Bodies across the country.

 

The six day long Media Tour – an initiative under the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, enabled journalists from different regions of India to not only gain knowledge about progress of Central Government schemes and initiatives in Maharashtra but also learn about the working different regional offices of the Press Information Bureau. The tour also enabled them to form long lasting bonds with their colleagues in other parts of the country. The media persons departed from Maharashtra to their home states with a treasure trove of memories, experiences and learnings that are sure to contribute richly to their professional and personal journeys.

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NJ/PK

 

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