CM Sai makes unscheduled stop at roadside stall, buys ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ from Meera

Raipur: A routine day at a small roadside stall at Raipur’s Telibandha Marine Drive took an unexpected turn for Meera when Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s convoy stopped beside her stall, where she was selling earthen lamps.

As Meera arranged the lamps and waited for customers, Sai stopped at her stall and purchased a diya for the upcoming ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme, being organised under the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’. He also gave her Rs 1,000.

Sai’s unexpected visit to the roadside stall came as a pleasant surprise to those present nearby. Without any formality, he spoke warmly with Meera and enquired about her work, family and well-being.

During the conversation, Sai asked whether she was receiving benefits under welfare schemes run by the Central and State Governments. Meera told him that she had opened a bank account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and was also receiving Rs 1,000 every month under the State Government’s Mahtari Vandan Yojana.

Chief Minister Sai expressed happiness on learning that Meera was receiving benefits under these schemes. He said government schemes become truly meaningful only when their benefits directly reach people in need, empower them and help improve their lives. Ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of welfare schemes easily and transparently remains the government’s priority. He further said that, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has laid a strong foundation for financial inclusion by connecting poor, deprived and needy families with the banking system.

The earthen lamp purchased by Chief Minister Sai from Meera will become a symbol of the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme being organised under the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’. Through the programme, an effort is being made to connect the collective commitment to service, public welfare and development with public participation.

The earthen lamp purchased by CM from a small roadside stall at Telibandha Marine Drive has acquired significance in several ways. On the one hand, it represents respect for the hard work and self-reliance of a woman earning her livelihood through her own efforts; on the other, the Chief Minister’s informal conversation with Meera highlighted the grassroots reach of welfare schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and the Mahtari Vandan Yojana. The same lamp will now become a symbol of service, public participation and commitment to development through the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme. MLA Purandar Mishra was present on the occasion.