Naidu administers 'Ekta' pledge to officials

Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Venkaiah Naidu on Monday administered 'Ekta' (unity) pledge to employees of both the ministries on the occasion of birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Home Minister.

He also administered anti-corruption pledge on Patel's birth anniversary, which is celebrated as 'Ekta Diwas' (unity day) on October 31.

"Over the years, justice has not been done to the lives and contributions of great leaders like Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, B.R. Ambedkar, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya etc. to nation building. This needs to be corrected by reminding the people of their contributions and relevance of their vision to present times," the minister told media after administering the pledge.

The government is organising special programmes to perpetuate the memory of such leaders who have not been paid their dues, he said.

"Sardar Patel had made yeomen contribution to integration of India and hence, his 'jayanti' is being celebrated as 'Ekta Diwas'," the minister added.

Similarly, Secretary (Border Management), in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Susheel Kumar and Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), B.P. Sharma also administered the 'Ekta Diwas' pledge to the officers and staff of the MHA and DoPT.

They administered the integrity pledge to the officials of the ministry.

--IANS

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