Pune: “Every citizen must realise his responsibility toward society, only then there will be a positive change and development in the country,” said the first and the youngest woman MBA sarpanch from Soda village in Rajasthan, Chhavi Rajawat, at 120th birth anniversary function of Dr Nanasaheb Parulekar, which was organised by Sakal Media Group at Balgandharva Rangmandir on Wednesday.
Sakal Media Group Chairman Pratap Pawar, along with other members of the group, was present.
Speaking about her outstanding work in her village and journey of her being the first female sarpanch, Rajawat said, “Firstly, having an optimistic approach to any problem will easily encourage one to resolve the toughest problems in society. Most of us overlook social issues with a thought that someone will change it. Instead, we must be proactive in bringing about the change we want in society.”
Changing the mindset of people was one of the main hurdles for her. It is more important than bringing development, said Rajawat.
“We need to explain to people about development and its long-term benefits. Also, changes are bound to happen, if you take people along with you in your mission. I brought transparency in village administration. I allowed access to all required public documents and panchayat meetings to villagers, which helped them to understand each development in the village. I also gained their confidence by this,” said Rajawat.
Sakal Investigation Team’s Senior Reporter Govind Tupe and Sakal Mumbai reporters Kiran Karande and Harshada Parab were honoured with the Dr Nanasaheb Parulekar award for their courageous reporting and detailed news coverage.
Sarpanches including Bhau Margale, Santosh Tikekar, Gangubai Ambedkar were honoured for their exceptional work in their respective villages. Ashok Deshpande and Archana Deshpande, who left their lucrative jobs to undertake a social cause of taking care of children of farmers who had committed suicide, were presented with the award. Sania Kulkarni, Rutuja Bhudruk, Razia Khan, who have been helping accident victims to get immediate first aid and reach hospitals, have also been awarded.