Kendrapara: It was a memorable day for the people of Bhagabanpur village in Garadpur block as the Ambassador of a foreign country and its delegates visited their village, cancelling a university programme.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi, Stella Burdiriganya, accompanied by Vijay Tiwari, the president of the Indo-European Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises and Samir Kumar Samal, a Chartered Accountant, visited Bhagabanpur.
The delegates led by Ambassador Stella Burdiriganya, interacted with the villagers and school students. Later, the team visited the school, farms, cottage industries, village fisheries and the OMFED milk chilling plant in the village.
“It’s a good experience for me to see the villagers. Their hospitality is fantastic. By coming here, I could experience different aspects of a village in India and would share my experience among our people. People from India would visit our country and our countrymen would visit here so that there is exchange of ideas on development,” said Stella Burdiriganya.
“I am happy to see that people of the village who are well established outside are trying to develop it,” said Stella Burdiriganya.
Overwhelmed by the hospitality and peaceful atmosphere of the village, the Ambassador expressed the desire to adopt the village and to make it a model habitation through partnership with Burundi. With Burundi’s help development can be brought about in agriculture, education and health, she said.
The Ambassador asked for cooperation of the villagers to make the village a model one, said CA Samir Kumar Samal of Bhagabanpur village, who invited the Ambassador to visit Bhagabanpur.
The village remains under-developed due to lack of interest of the district administration and public representatives. The time has come to consider villages as enterprises. Villagers should think about value addition to their products, said Vijay Tiwari, the President of the Indo-European Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises.
The villagers were happy as the Burundi Ambassador promised to help develop their village.
PNN
