PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said India will progress once its villages and panchayats are empowered as nearly 70 to 80 per cent of the people live in rural parts of the country. She was addressing a gathering in Silvassa town of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu after inaugurating a Government School at Zanda Chowk and phase-II of development of space beneathYatri Niwas flyover here. “As per our Constitution’s Preamble, our nation’s aim is to provide social, economic and political justice to citizens. I was told that the administration of this UnionTerritory is taking various steps for the uplift of this region’s people and results of those efforts are now visible,” she said.

 

Murmu said the participation of village panchayats helps in ensuring better governance. “India is a country of villages because nearly 70 to 80 per cent people live in villages. Thus, our country will progress and become stronger if villages and panchayats become stronger,” the President said, adding she will visit a ‘Panchayat ghar’ after the event. Murmu is on a two-dayvisit to the Union Territory fromTuesday. On the first day of her visit, shevisited a recently-inauguratedaviary and a Government engineering college and the NationalInstitute of Fashion Technology(NIFT) campus in Daman. On Wednesday, she began hervisit by visiting the NAMOMedical Education & ResearchInstitute in Silvassa town andinteracted with students and faculty. “The energy with which theyouth is marching forward, I amsure that it will help us in building Viksit Bharat (developedIndia),” Murmu said.