BENGALURU: Along with their regular tasks, postal employees of Karnataka Postal Circle have been busy carrying out a massive soil collection campaign across the state. This is part of the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign organised by the Centre as a finale of the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programme.
Along with Karnataka, the five states of Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are part of the first phase of the ‘Amrit Kalash Yatra’ which will bring soil in 7,500 urns from across the country. It is being undertaken by the Centre to honour martyred men and women.
Rama Sudhakar Rao, Assistant Director, Chief Postmaster General (CPMG) Office, Karnataka Circle, told TNIE, “Soil is being collected in urns across 19,000-plus villages in Karnataka and they would all go towards the creation of an Amrit Vatika near the National War Memorial in New Delhi. It will have 75 saplings of indigenous trees. Apart from the villages, soil was also being collected from 186 blocks and 639 wards.”
The campaign is being done with youth affiliated with Nehru Yuva Kendra, with branch postmasters, assistant branch postmasters and dak sevaks from the postal department. “The collection began on September 20 and is still on,” Rao added.
CPMG, Karnataka Circle, Rajendra S Prasad said, “The soil being collected from across the state would be brought to Bengaluru and transported by special trains to New Delhi, around October 26 or 27.”
The postal department is coordinating the campaign in the state. “It has been chosen due to its vast network,” the CPMG added. The campaign has received overwhelming response in the villages. Amrit Vatika will become a grand symbol of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, said an official release.