Slew of programmes launched on Amritanandamayi's 60th b'day

Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt (MAM) has launched a slew of developmental schemes, including a plan to adopt 101 villages across the country, on the occasion of the spiritual leader's 60th birthday.
The projects - one of them also envisages a relief package for Uttarakhand - were floated in her presence at a function on the concluding day of 'Amritavarsham60'.
While Amrita Svasrayagramam, the 101-village adoption programme, was launched by Union transport Minister Oscar Fernandes, the Rs 50-crore Uttarakhand relief and rehabilitation scheme was launched by Union Labour Minister, Kodikunnil Suresh.
Through the village adoption programme, Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt, which is organising the three-day birthday celebrations, aims to adopt 101 villages where it will provide basic facilities like schools, drinking water and healthcare, according to a press release tonight.

MAM will also build 500 houses in Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts in Uttarakhand, the state which was hit by flash-floods this monsoon.
The ceremony also witnessed presentation of Amritakeerti Puraskar National Award to writer and literary critic Prof Manoj Das and Amritakeerti Puraskar State Award to Prof Thuravoor Viswambharan.

Other welfare programmes launched were the Amrita RITE- Rural India Tablet Education for after-school tutoring and Adult Literacy to be used in the adopted villages.
MAM would also extend the Amrita Nidhi Pension Programme to 69,000 beneficiaries now from the current 59,000 while the Vidyamritam Student Scholarship programme will now target 41,000 beneficiaries up from the earlier 46,000.

The e-learning project, 'Amrita RITE-Rural India Tablet Education' was launched by handing over a tablet to Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shashi Tharoor.
The session also witnessed the release of three books written by Amritananamayi's disciples.