Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Assam‘s “Hathibandhu” initiative for addressing the human-elephant conflict during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address on Sunday.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to his official X handle to express gratitude for highlighting the initiative to the world.
The chief minister said, “A while back Adarniya Shri @narendramodi ji spoke about the Hathibandhu initiative of Assam in his #MannKiBaat address.”
https://twitter.com/himantabiswa/status/1880868867813380407
He said the initiative is a natural solution to reduce man-elephant conflicts.
Under the initiative, 30 hectares of private land has been planted with napier grass in Nagaon and Karbi Anglong, CM Sarma said.
Sarma said this plantation ensures elephants have a ready food source and has helped in reduction of crop raiding.
He further added, “Around 8,000 people have benefited from this initiative, which is a win win situation for both people and elephants.”
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The prime minister also commended the Election Commission of India (ECI) for leveraging technology to enhance the power of the people and ensure a fair electoral process.
His remarks, made during his monthly “Mann ki Baat” radio address, came ahead of the EC’s foundation day on January 25, which is observed as National Voters’ Day.
The prime minister’s comments come amid ongoing criticism from opposition parties, which have raised concerns about the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
