Madhya Pradesh

• 24 Apr 2023

District Burhanpur gets honoured with 'PM Excellence Award' under Jal Jeevan Mission

Why in News?

On 21 April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi awarded the 'Prime Minister's Excellence Award' to the best performing Burhanpur district in the country in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission at a dignified ceremony on Civil Services Day in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• Burhanpur District Collector Ms. Bhavya Mittal received the award from the hands of the Prime Minister.
• Burhanpur district has achieved an unprecedented and proud achievement of providing pure drinking water by tap to every household through the Jal Jeevan Mission. Burhanpur has got the distinction of becoming the first Har Ghar Jal-certified district in the country.
• Burhanpur has shown a new direction to the country by providing water to every village. Till now, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tap water has been made available to more than 51 lakh 15 thousand rural families of the state. Water is being supplied to all 254 villages through the 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme.
• Jal Jeevan Mission 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme in Burhanpur district is being maintained and operated by Panchayats. A Jal Swachhata Ad-hoc Committee has been constituted in each village, which maintains and implements the scheme. All the village watermen and plumbers have been duly trained.
• For skill development in panchayats, a booklet 'Nal Jal Prabandhan' has been prepared by the administration, in which detailed information about the operation of the scheme is given.
• Under the scheme, the work of recovery of water tax is being done by the women of self-help groups. This work has given employment to women while the economic condition of their families has also improved.
• Panchayats are making the villagers aware of the benefits of conserving underground water and showing ways to save it. Burhanpur district has hoisted its flag in the country with the enthusiastic participation of common people in governance and administration.

Third Gender social worker Sanjana Singh appointed as State Level Election Icon

Why in News?

On 21 April 2023, Madhya Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said that the Election Commission of India has appointed third gender social worker Sanjana Singh as the state-level icon of Madhya Pradesh elections.

Key Points

• Social worker third gender Sanjana Singh is a resident of Pushpa Nagar Bawdi Chandbad.
• Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said that third-gender voters residing in the state should participate more & more in the voting process, for this third-gender Sanjana Singh has been made a state-level icon.
• It is notable that Sanjana Singh was earlier selected as the first Transmentor by the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Committee. She was the first third gender of Swachhta Abhiyan Madhya Pradesh in Swachh Bharat Mission, who became the brand ambassador.
• Apart from this, Sanjana Singh has also been honoured by the megastar of the century, Amitabh Bachchan, in the Dettol Swachh Bharat Banega Bharat live show in the year 2017.

Central Region Electricity Distribution Company to be the country's 1st company to collect bills through WhatsApp

Why in News?

On 21 April 2023, the Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Central Region Electricity Distribution Company, Ganesh Shankar Mishra said that it is the country's 1st government electricity distribution company, which has started an innovative effort of online electricity bill payment through WhatsApp-pay.

Key Points

• Managing Director Ganesh Shankar Mishra said that taking forward the digital innovation of payment of electricity bills, the company has provided more than a dozen bill payment options to consumers in the direction of convenient and secure payment. In this series, a new option will be available to consumers through WhatsApp-Pay. In this new way, consumers will be able to pay electricity bills from their homes using their smartphones.
• 'WhatsApp-Pay' is a digital payment feature that allows users to send money through the messaging app. It is secure and easy to use, requiring just a few simple steps to complete a transaction.
• Consumers can use their existing WhatsApp account and link it with their bank account to make payments without any hassle.
• Consumers who do not have a 'WhatsApp-Pay' facility can also pay through WhatsApp through other UPI modes like Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm. This innovative payment method does not require any additional download or registration.
• Not only will this new mode of payment make it easier for consumers to pay their bills but it will also save time and effort.
• With WhatsApp-pay and other online payment options, consumers no longer need to visit cash collection centres to pay their electricity bills. It is a fast and efficient solution, which will simplify the payment process and improve customer satisfaction.
• It is worth mentioning that Central Region Electricity Distribution Company is the first electricity distribution company to implement a WhatsApp chatbot for its consumers, through which one can view electricity bills, pay, receive and complain, knowing the status.