No fire crackers on Gandhi Jayanti: Pramod Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the practice of bursting firecrackers during Gandhi Jayanti celebrations will be discontinued by the state government from next year.

Mahatma Gandhi was a true environmentalist and bursting firecrackers is not in sync with good environmental practices, Sawant said at a function here on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi.

"From next year, it is necessary to stop bursting crackers. Gandhi was a true environmentalist. Government servants should take note of it," he said.

The chief minister also took part in BJP's 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra' at Panaji.

Earlier today, he also launched a 100 per cent 'Made in Goa' cotton bag by the department of Handicrafts, Textile and Coir in an attempt to "discourage the use of single-use plastic.

Both Congress and BJP are organising a number of events throughout the country to mark Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) carrying out a 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra', a 120-day exercise to spread Gandhi's ideals and principles of non-violence, Swaraj and simplicity to mark his 150th birth anniversary.