Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Maharashtra BJP legislator Siddharth Shirole, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday, recalled his first meeting and photograph with him in the year 2013, saying that it was a moment that strengthened his resolve to serve society with the same dedication, vision, and humility that defines Narendra Modi.

“That photograph from 2013 and the memory of that first meeting remain etched in my heart. Beyond the leader who would go on to change the course of India’s destiny, I saw a person whose simplicity, accessibility, and heartfelt connection with people set him apart. It was a moment that strengthened my resolve to serve society with the same dedication, vision, and humility that defines Narendra Modi Ji,” he said in a post on X.

“What struck me the most, however, was not just his sharp vision or his attention to detail, but his humility. When I requested a photograph with him, he smiled warmly, readily agreed, and then called my father to join us in the frame. That gesture of including my father, of making the moment a shared memory for our family, reflected the depth of his human touch,” he said.

“My first meeting with Hon. Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji took place in 2013, during his historic rally in #Pune. At the time, my father, Anil Shirole Ji, was serving as the BJP Pune City President, and I was working as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. The atmosphere in the city was electric; thousands had gathered, filled with hope and belief that India was on the brink of change,” he stated.

He further said,” I had the privilege of presenting Modi ji with a detailed comparative report on Gujarat’s development model, showcasing the progress achieved under his leadership in contrast with the governance of Congress-ruled states. He listened with genuine interest, appreciated the effort, and even extended an invitation for me to visit Gujarat and study the model more closely. For a young karyakarta like me, that acknowledgement was not just encouraging… it was transformative.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and urban development minister Eknath Shinde announced that Namo Udyan will be developed in 394 municipal councils and municipal panchayats in the state with the provision of Rs 1 crore for each park. He added that this is a gift given by Maharashtra on the occasion of the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“It has been decided to develop a park in all the municipal councils and nagar panchayats of the state under the unique and new Nagar Panchayat, Nagarpalika scheme. While approving a fund of Rs 1 crore each for this, these parks will be named ‘Namo Udyan’. With this decision, Namo Udyan will be developed in a total of 394 municipal councils and nagar panchayats of the state within a year,” added Shinde.

A competition for these newly developed parks will be organised at the divisional level. Through this, prizes will also be given to three Municipal Councils/Nagar Panchayats from each division, he said.

The first, second and third place prizes in the Namo Udyan competition will be announced to the respective local self-government bodies. The prize money of Rs 5 crore for the first place, Rs 3 crore for the second place and Rs 1 crore for the third place will be given to the winning municipal councils and panchayats as additional development funds.

–IANS

sj/uk