UN postal agency issues special Diwali stamp
United Nations, Nov 7: India on Wednesday thanked the UN Postal Administration for issuing special postal stamps to commemorate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
The United Nations Postal Administration issued a special event sheet on October 19 to commemorate the festival of Diwali.
"The struggle between Good & Evil happens everyday @UN. Thank you @UNStamps for portraying our common quest for the triumph of Good over Evil in your 1st set of Diwali stamps on the occasion of the auspicious Festival of Lights," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
The sheet in the denomination of USD 1.15 contains ten stamps and tabs featuring festive lights and the symbolic lamps known as diyas.
The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated with the message of "Happy Diwali" to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
"Diwali, also known as Deepawali is the joyous and popular festival of lights, which is celebrated in India and by followers of many faiths across the world," the UN agency had said in its description accompanying information about the stamps.
During the celebration clay lamps known as diyas are lit to signify the victory of good over evil. The festival also symbolises the start of a New year for many communities, it said.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) had in October 2016 launched a commemorative stamp in honour of the festival of Diwali.
The USPS Diwali stamp became a reality after seven-years long efforts and advocacy by the Indian-American community and several Congressional resolutions by influential American lawmakers such as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.
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Chhattisgarh: Mobile tower installed at Kondapalli village in Naxal-affected Bijapur
Raipur (PTI): A mobile tower has been installed for the first time at Kondapalli village in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected Bijapur district, an area long cut off from the outside world, officials said on Sunday.
The village, about 450 km from state capital Raipur and located in the dense forests along the border with Telangana, did not have roads, electricity and drinking water until recently.
The installation of a mobile tower last week was not merely a technological step forward for the local community but a symbol of getting connected with the outside world, said a government statement.
His government was committed to ensure that every village and every family in Bastar region becomes part of the development mainstream, gains access to digital services, and sees new avenues of opportunity open for them, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was quoted as saying in the statement.
This was the dawn of a new era of trust, transformation and new possibilities, he said.
Mobile network was being provided under the 'Niyad Nellanaar' (Your Good Village) scheme of the state government which aims to bring development to remote villages close to security camps, the statement said.
As the tower's activation was announced last week, excitement swept through Kondapalli as women, men and children marched to the tower site in a procession and performed traditional rituals. People danced to the beat of the 'mandar' drum and residents of neighbouring villages also joined in.
With mobile network, the villagers can now access banking services, Aadhaar, ration, health schemes, pension schemes and educational services, the release said.
Since a security camp was set up at Kondapalli in December 2024, the administration has been able to reach the village regularly. The long-defunct road in the area is being reconstructed by the Border Roads Organisation, and work on a 50-km stretch is currently under progress, the statement said.
Electricity reached the village for the first time only two months ago, changing daily life in many ways including how the children study and small businesses are run, the statement said, adding the administration has been conducting camps to ensure every family receives the benefits of government schemes.
Under the Niyad Nellanaar scheme, 18 community services under nine departments and 25 individual-centric schemes of 11 departments are being delivered in 403 villages around 69 new security camps in Bastar region which comprises seven districts including Bijapur.
Over the past two years, 728 mobile towers have been installed in the region. Additionally, 449 towers have been upgraded from 2G to 4G, the statement added.
