Shahjahanpur, October —The birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri were observed with respect at the Collectorate premises here on Friday.

District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh presided over the programme. He, along with other officials, paid floral tributes to the two national leaders. The premises echoed with the Ram Dhun, “Raghupati Raghav Rajaram, Patit Pavan Sitaram.”

Addressing the gathering, Singh said Gandhi and Shastri made an important contribution to the building of the nation. He said their simple lifestyle, sacrifice, thoughts and dedication to the country continue to inspire people.

The DM said Gandhi’s ideas of using locally made goods and self-reliance remain relevant even today. He urged officials and employees to follow the ideals of the two leaders in their daily work rather than limiting their remembrance to such occasions.

Singh said helping poor, helpless and needy people and resolving the problems of people visiting government offices should remain a priority for the administration. He called upon officials and employees to work with a focus on the welfare of the weaker sections of society.

On the occasion, the DM honoured sanitation workers by presenting them certificates of appreciation. He said sanitation workers play an important role in keeping the city and government premises clean and their contribution should be recognised.

Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Rajneesh Kumar Mishra, ADM (Finance and Revenue) Arvind Kumar, City Magistrate Rajnikant and ADM (Judicial) Mohammad Aslam, among other officials, also spoke at the programme.

A team from Guru Nanak Pathshala presented the Ram Dhun. The programme was conducted by Indu Ajnabi.

Officials and employees took a pledge to follow the ideals and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri and contribute actively to the development of the country and society.