PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU

 

Public Information Campaign in Madurai District

Info Expo opens on July 16

 

Madurai, July 13, 2006

 

        The third edition of the Public Information Campaign (PIC) in Tamil Nadu will be launched in Madurai district on July 16.  Press Information Bureau (PIB), Madurai under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is coordinating the campaign focusing on the flagship programmes of the UPA Government, viz., Bharat Nirman, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Rural Health Mission and Right to Information Act.

 

        Christened as Info Expo, the campaign with the central theme of "Empowering India" will help various government departments and organisations to fulfill their commitment towards proactive disclosure of information on their policies and programmes under the Right to Information Act.

 

          As part of the campaign, a massive expo is being mounted at the Railway Ground, Arasaradi here by erecting environment-friendly ready to use structure. Several central and state government departments and public sector undertakings besides non-governmental organizations and self help groups will showcase their products and services under the same roof.

 

          Thiru Suba Thangavelan, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Housing & Slum Clearance will formally inaugurate the PIC on July 16. Tmt A Tamilarasi, the Tamil Nadu Minister for  Adi Dravidar Welfare and Thiru P Mohan, MP will be the guests of honour on the occasion.

 

          Thiru K Venkatapathy, Union Minister of State for Law & Justice, Thiru S Reghupathy, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and the Tamil Nadu Ministers Thiru K K S S R Ramachandran, Dr Tmt Poongothai and Thiru U Mathivanan are scheduled to participate in the events planned during the five day campaign ending July 20.

 

          As part of the PIC, an ENT health camp will be organised on July 17 with the support of AHAP Project India and a free eye camp will be held on July 18 under the aegis of Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.

 

The Railway Hospital Madurai will run a free general health camp throughout the day on July 19 at the expo venue. M S Chellamuthu Trust and Research Centre Madurai is scheduled to conduct a mental health awareness camp focusing on the youth on July 20.

 

In addition to the cultural programmes to be presented by the Song & Drama Division, various local troupes will join hands to provide infotainment during the campaign period.

 

Gandhigram Rural University will conduct a workshop for panchayat leaders on July 19 and another workshop on the inaugural day will focus on personality development of the students.

 

          Besides the info expo at Madurai, village level intensive campaign has also been planned covering 30 villages in the district. The village teams comprising the officials of Directorate of Field Publicity, volunteers of  Nehru Yuva Kendra and the Song & Drama Division troupes will mount multi media campaign in the select villages.

    

        The first phase of the PIC series in Tamil Nadu began at Thirukuvalai in Nagapattinam District on July 2. The second edition has been mounted in Dindigul district from July 9.

 

        Various media units of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,including Directorate of Field Publicity, Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity, Song & Drama Division, Publications Division, Doordarshan and All India Radio are participating in the PICs.  Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the National Informatics Centre under the Union Ministry of Communications & IT will also play an important role in the campaigns.

 

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