PM to launch development projects in Pune on Aug 1, receive Lokmanya Tilak National Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday visit Maharashtra’s Pune city where he will lay the foundation stone of various development projects and also receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award.

After his arrival, Modi will perform darshan and pooja’ at Dagdusheth Mandir.

At 11.45 am, he will be conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award, constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983, to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak, as per a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

The award is given to people who have worked for the progress and development of the nation and whose contribution can only be looked upon as remarkable and extraordinary, the PIB statement said.

It is presented every year on August 1, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, the statement said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been invited as chief guest for the event, organisers earlier said. Rohit Tilak, vice president of the trust, confirmed on Monday that Pawar will attend the award ceremony.

“There is no change in the programme. Pawar Saheb, who is the chief guest, will be attending the event.”

“Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, and Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is also a trustee, will also be attending the event,” he said.

PM Modi will become the 41st recipient of the award. It has previously been presented to luminaries such as Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, N R Narayana Murthy, E Sreedharan, among others.

At 12.45 pm on Tuesday, the prime minister will flag off Metro trains and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects, the statement said.