Home Minister Amit Shah conferred the “Maharashtra Bhushan” award for the year 2022 to Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari at Raigarh, Maharashtra on Sunday. On this occasion, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and many other dignitaries were present.
Home minister felicitated the 76-year-old with a shawl, a citation, a memento and a cheque of Rs 25 lakh, which the social worker donated to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Shah tweeted, “Padma Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari ji has been doing incomparable service work in many areas along with health, cleanliness, de-addiction in tribal settlements for 30 years. The social worker who dedicated his whole life to public service got the privilege of being honored with ‘Maharashtra Bhushan-2022’ today.”
पद्म श्री डॉ आप्पासाहेब धर्माधिकारी जी 30 सालों से स्वास्थ्य, स्वच्छता, आदिवासी बस्तियों में नशामुक्ति के साथ-साथ अनेक क्षेत्रों में अतुलनीय सेवा कार्य कर रहे हैं।
अपना पूरा जीवन जनसेवा को समर्पित करने वाले समाजसेवी को आज 'महाराष्ट्र भूषण-2022' से सम्मानित करने का सौभाग्य मिला। pic.twitter.com/UWJHzP8NmM
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) April 16, 2023
“I will continue my social work till my last breath. I had inherited it from my father Nanasaheb and now my sons will carry it forward,” Dharmadhikari said at the event. “Mankind is the only caste. Service to humanity is the only purpose. Why should there be any conflict and differences when there is oneness?” he further added.
Maharashtra Bhushan Award- What, When and Who?
‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award’ was instituted in 1995 and since then many people who have contributed to the social life of Maharashtra and the country have been awarded. From Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, Swar Kokila Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Scientist Vijay Bhatkar, Raghunath Mashelkar, Jayant Narlikar, Anil Kakodkar, Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare, well-known artists Sulochana ji and Nanasaheb have been awarded with Maharashtra Bhushan.
Now Appasaheb from Nanasaheb’s family has got the award. This is the first time that the Maharashtra Bhushan award has been given in the same family for the second time.
He worked for the improvement of children, distribution of free educational material, tree plantation, cleanliness, blood donation, unique process of collecting waste during festivals, cleaning of wells, women empowerment, welfare of tribals, drug free society, eradication of superstition and illiteracy and has set many examples in these areas.