Amrit Mahotsav a time to celebrate achievements: CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada: Lauding 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' as one of the great initiatives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday said it has rightly provided an occasion to rejoice over the nation's cultural, social, economic and scientific achievements in the last 75 years.

The Chief Minister participated virtually in the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav's second National Committee meeting, held by Modi, an official release said.

"This Mahotsav has rightly provided an occasion to rejoice the nation's glorious past, its cultural, social, economic and scientific achievements made during the admirable journey of 75 years and also to reaffirm our commitment to the Nation's progress going forward," he said, addressing the committee.

The Chief Minister further said at the commencement of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', while commemorating the freedom fighters, he visited and paid respects to Sita Mahalakshmi, daughter of Late Pingali Venkayya, freedom fighter and also the designer of the National Tricolour Flag.

The place where Pingali Venkaiah presented the Tricolour flag to Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, is in Vijayawada and it now houses an archaeological museum named Bapu Museum.

The state government has recently renovated and rededicated the museum to the public, he said.

Quoting reports, Jagan Mohan Reddy said though there were several positive changes over the last few decades, economic growth has not sufficiently trickled down to the poor in the country.

Income inequality, which would result in increased rural indebtedness, lower purchasing power and reduction in rural aggregate demand, is a serious problem that deserves immediate attention from the policy makers, the Chief Minister said.

In the light of the fragility, interventio­ns must be made more impactful by identifying and effectively addressing the bottlenecks and thereby making inclusive economic growth possible, he added.