Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada district administration, Zilla Panchayat, Women & Child Welfare Department, and District Legal Services Authority, on Tuesday, celebrated International Girl Child Day 2020 with the themes “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”.
The celebration was held at the Nethravati Auditorium at 10 AM with ZP president Meenakshi Shanthigodu as the chief guest and MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty, MCC Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar, Karnataka Tulu Academy president Dayanand Kathalsar, ZP vice president Kasturi Panja, ZP CEO Dr Selvamani R, and ZP member Mamatha Gatti as guests of honour.
Inaugurating the event, MLA Dr Bharath Shetty said, “Protecting a girl child is everyone’s social, national and human responsibility. We need to play an important role in preventing female foeticide. A lot needs to be done in the country to make the ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ project launched by PM Narendra Modi successful and we should have no longer have cases of female foeticide.”
“Women leaders will probably be more successful in protecting the girl child and foetus. Women have proven that they are capable. We need to ensure that girls in their villages are sent to school and educated. We must also raise our voice and fight against crimes against women like rape, assaults, harassment, murder etc. All these crimes can be stopped if everyone unites and fights for the cause,” he added.
District Wenlock Hospital RMO Dr Durgaprasad, who was also present, spoke on health issues suffered by girls and other topics.
On the occasion, 17 girls who scored the highest marks in the recently concluded SSLC exams were honoured. The 17 headmasters of the schools that the girls were educated were also felicitated.
Five Best Panchayat heads along with the staff were also felicitated.
On the occasion, Govt. Model Higher Primary School, Belthangady was selected as the Best School for their concern towards girls and their achievement. Headmistress of the school, Mrs Jain was also felicitated during the programme.
Meenakshi Shanthigodu welcomed the gathering Child Development Project Officer Shobha compered the programme.
