Warangal: Sarpanch to attend dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Warangal: Not often one would get an opportunity to be part of a dinner hosted by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Keshavapur village Sarpanch Eera Krishnaveni Mahender did that with hard work and perseverance. She is one among the 200 Sarpanches and Swachhgrahis from across the country to make it to the Swachh Bharat Diwas celebration in commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary at the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat on Wednesday.

It may be mentioned here that the programme was jointly organised by the Gujarat government and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. Although she is a rookie politically, Krishnaveni, mother of two children, was elected as the Sarpanch of Keshavapur Gram Panchayat (SC reserved) early this year. She has strived hard for the development of the village.

The village which has a population of around 4,000 has been declared open defecation free (ODF) and the sanitation measures being taken have come in for appreciation by the administration.

The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) nominated Krishnaveni from Warangal Urban district to participate in the Swachh Bharat Diwas based on village's track record in the ODF and the sanitation.

She is one among the 10 sarpanches from Telangana selected by the Swachh Bharat Mission Director S Dilip Kumar and other officials based on their performance.

The government's invite which addressed Krishnaveni as Swachhat Champion welcomed her to the event. It appreciated her for playing a key role and making the Swachh Bharat Mission the largest behaviour change revolution the world has ever seen.

Krishnaveni who went to Ahmedabad on September 30 along with other Sarpanches visited Sabarmati Ashram, Leelapur model village etc.

Speaking to The Hans India, Krishnaveni said: "It's like a dream come true. I am delighted to be the part of Swachh Bharat Diwas event. The visit to Sabarmati Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi, who strongly believed in Gram Swaraj, lived is awe-inspiring. The trip certainly enlightened my understanding of village development."

Warangal Urban District Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil who extended his greetings to Krishnaveni for being part of such a prestigious event, said: "The district is making rapid progress on ODF and sanitation front with PRI (Panchayat Raj Institution) functionaries putting in a lot of effort to turn their villages into model ones."