The largest program initiated by a regional newspaper to reach and recognise the untold stories of drivers of change in Maharashtra generating reach of over 100mn
Mumbai: Lokmat Sarpanch of the Year Awards’ 1st edition an initiative that lasted almost 5 months took place in Maharashtra across 18 districts, covering 11.793 Gram Panchayats with over a total of over 7000 entries to participate and self nominate in the 1st year of award. A total of 13 categories covering development, sanitation, water, health services, education, agriculture, electricity, security, digital, employment generation and emerging Sarpanch of the Year. Shortlisted 234 Sarpanches in Maharashtra participated in the Grand Finale in Mumbai on 28th March 2018 where a total of 13 Sarpanches were the final winners who received awards in the hands of Ministers of State. ‘Lokmat Sarpanch of the Year Awards’ had turned out to be the largest programme to reach the drivers of change in rural Maharashtra with reach of over 100 million eye balls in its 1st edition making it an ideal platform for brands to connect with rural Maharashtra. The event is once again being organised by Taplight, the experiential marketing division of Lokmat Media Group.
As mentioned by Mr Rishi Darda, Jt MD & Editorial Director, Lokmat Media Group, “The Sarpanch award has been introduced to encourage the tireless effort made by them in transforming their villages. This is the first award to be given to the Sarpanch at the individual level and it is also the first such award of Panchayati Raj System especially by a media house. This initiative will go a long way to implement the concept of smart village thereby contributing towards advancement of the nation and we hope like the 1st edition we shall more entries and nominations in this 2nd edition. As a regional media house we are committed to provide a platform to recognise achievers from rural India.”
The awards were bifurcated across various categories with each of them focusing on different aspects of the village’s development. The final ceremony was graced by Mr. Raosaheb Patil Danve (Maharashtra President Bhartiya Janata Party), Mr. Pandurang Phundkar (Minister, Agricultural), Ms. Pankaja Munde (Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare), Mr. Subhash Deshmukh (Minister for Sahakar, Panan & Vastrodyog in Government of Maharashtra), Mr. Jayakumar Rawal (Minister for Tourism, Employment Guarantee Scheme), Mr. Arjun Khotkar (Minister of State for Textile, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries), Dr. Ranjit Patil (Minister of State Home (Urban), Urban Development, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), Mr. Makarand Anaspure (Marathi Actor) and Mr. Popatrao Pawar (Farmer Sarpanch).
2 Key announcements in 1st edition –
- Smt Pankaja Munde announced INR 25 lakhs to Gram Panchayat of Sarpanch winning the first prize
- INR 10 lakhs each was presented to Gram Panchayat of winner Sarpanchs across various other categories
Shri Rajiv Poddar, JMD, BKT Tires “BKT Tires is proud of its association with Lokmat Sarpanch Awards in its 1st edition. The heart of our nation i.e the real India lies in the villages and this platform was able to connect us to the leaders who had been constantly working selflessly towards improving lives of their fellow village residents. Our experience during the district events showed us that Indian farmers are ready to take the next level technological leap towards making their life better by way of adopting modern farming technology & equipment. BKT has been producing technologically advanced tires since last 30 years and helping the agricultural community across the world in getting higher farm output. I would like to congratulate Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd for coming up with this innovative initiative and extend best wishes to all the Sarpanch for doing commendable work in their respective village”.
Mr. Ravindra Shahane – VP Marketing, Mahindra Farm Division “We are extremely pleased with the tremendous response that Lokmat Sarpanch Awards 2017 has received. As the leader in the Indian tractor industry for over 31 years, we have always pioneered innovative farm technology solutions to increase agricultural productivity and rural prosperity. Associating with the leading publication of Maharashtra in this novel initiative was a natural brand fit.”
