New York: The 57th Commission on Population Development (CPD) meet was organized at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in which ‘Hockeywali Sarpanch’ Mrs. Neeru Yadav from the Gram Panchayat of Lambi Ahir, district Jhunjhunu Rajasthan represented India along with select others.
In this program, Sarpanch of Andhra Pradesh Smt. Hema Kumari, Sabhapati Supriya Das Dutta from Tripura, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj - Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of India to the UN, New York, Pio Smith - UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Senior IAS Vivek Bhardwaj – Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj Government of India and Senior IAS Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India participated.
‘Hockeywali Sarpanch’ Neeru Yadav was sent by the Government of India to represent India in the United Nations in view of her innovations like forming a girls’ hockey team, making the panchayat free from single use plastic in wedding ceremonies and banquet programs. She also established a Steel Utensil Bank, under the 'Mera Ped Mera Dost' campaign for environmental protection, gave free trees to children of all the government schools of the block and made them take an oath to take care of them. Along with this, by linking the social customs that have been going on for centuries in the Gram Panchayat with environmental protection, newly married couples started planting trees as part of the ritual of Kanyadaan and seeing the bride's face.
Earlier too, Hockeywali Sarpanch Neeru Yadav was invited as a special guest on Sony TV's popular show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) in view of the innovations made by her. The Rajasthan Government had also honored Neeru Yadav with Shiksha Shri Samman and Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) had asked questions about Yadav in the competitive examinations. Many other innovations have also been done by Neeru Yadav such as Sarpanch Series, Panchayat Aapke Dwar, Skill Development Program for women and girls, adopting a government school and building an English medium play school in it.
