The first day of any New Year is significant as it brings new hopes and aspirations. People greet each other with bright smiles wishing happiness and prosperity in the year ahead. Sweets are shared and gifts are showered as occasions like these are seen as a perfect time for self-indulgence.
People in public life receive a large number of bouquets, garlands, flowers, fruits, shawls, and sweets. This New Year, Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh decided to indulge in ‘meaningful’ celebrations. He made a public announcement that people, who wanted to greet him on New Year day, should shun flowers, bouquets, sweets, and shawls and replace them with notebooks, pens and pencils as their gifts.
“Stationery is the basic requirement for learning, without which students are incapable of writing down their notes. But not everybody can afford to buy these items.” the Minister said and suggested that the party cadre, who generally meet their leaders on the occasion, try altruism this year.
In an overwhelming response to the Minister’s call, a steady stream of party cadre was seen queuing up to meet him clutching bundles of notebooks, pens and pencils from the night of December 31.
Stationery donated
A long queue of people donating the three school stationery items was seen at Yerragondapalem village in Prakasam district where the Minister celebrated New Year.
People close to the Minister said 25,000 notebooks were collected in one day and the donations continued to pour in even till Thursday evening. Mr. Suresh asked the Mandal Education Officers to distribute the notebooks to the lesser privileged children.
Taking a cue from him, Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah also gave a similar call contributing to the welfare of the children who could not afford to buy their school stationery.
