ANH Correspondent

Akhnoor, Jan 25: Fifth standard student Ridhima Rajput, a resident of bordering Village Gowar was a one-day Tehsildar of Pargwal Tehsil, marking the national girl child day, in a rare instance of real life.

For the first time in the history of Tehsil, a girl became the Tehsildar, even if it is symbolic and just for a day.

Ridhima, a student of 5th Class at a local institution, was chosen for the honour after she was adjuged as best entry of a weeklong selfie contest organized by Tehsil Administration Pargwal to mark National Girl Child Day 2021, wherein open entries were invited from Girl children of area with an idea to click a selfie with book under tagline “Bookfie”. She was also designated as Girl Child Ambassador under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme by Tehsil Administration Pargwal.

Ridhima and her parents have expressed happiness and gratitude to the Tehsildar Pargwal Imtiaz Ahmed on the honour and said it will send the message that girls are no less than boys and can achieve anything they want.

“I wholeheartedly thank Tehsildar Pargwal for allowing me to become Tehsildar of Pargwal for one day,” said Ridhima.

“We are extremely proud of our daughter’s achievement. It will send a message to all the parents to never hold back their daughters and support them fully to pursue their dreams,” her parents Narinder Singh and Asha Rani, said.

Appreciating the initiative, Sarpanch Bhupinder Singh Manhas, in whose Panchayat Gowar village is located, said, “The move will inspire the girls of the Tehsil to dream big and never feel inferior to boys. They are equal to boys and can achieve their dreams with hard work and determination.”

Tehsil Administration Pargwal took similar initiatives to promote BBBP programme by launching massive awareness that aims towards promotion of the rights of the girl child
and to spread the message on the importance of girl education.

Tehsildar Pargwal Imtiaz Ahmed, a KAS Officer, said that similar awareness on girl child and their education will now be a regular feature in future also. As part of UN Sustainable Development Goals such initiatives will further strengthen our commitment towards fulfilment of targets under Goals of Quality Education and Gender Equality under SDG by 2030, he said.

Tehsil Pargwal have already taken initiatives to implement these Sustainable Goals in sustainable manner in correlations with various Social Welfare Schemes meant for Girl Child Education and Health like cent percent saturation programs like Child immunization program, Ladli Beti Scheme, enrollment of girls in nearby educational institutions, Coverage under Ayushman Bharat, Provision of Special Marriage Assistance Scheme to needy people , Proper Counselling and Guidance to Girls ensuring that benefits of these schemes percolate to intended group in this context a special weekly program is launched at Panchayat level in form of holding a Gram Choupal on every Thursday in Tehsil. (ANH)