I COULD HAVE COME A YEAR EARLIER

President Pranab Mukherjee today inaugurated a library and sports ground with a small regret that if he had come to Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier he could have saved some structures from demolition. "I thank my team and Secretary Omita Paul for renovating this library (named after him). "I wish I could have come a little earlier and saved some (structures) from demolition and (they could) be utilised for better purposes," he said addressing families of those who reside in the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex. The gathering included a number of youngsters. Mukherjee today spent close to two hours meeting kids, youngsters and staffers of the Presidential Estate as he dedicated the two facilities and unveiled a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi near the historic Durbar Hall of the President's house. The 77-year-old President inaugurated the first ever statue of the Father of Nation in the Rashtrapati Bhavan which till now only has his portraits. "Many great people come to this building and the next time they cross over to the Durbar Hall they will pause for a while and their heads will bow down in respect for the great saint," he said. Mukherjee, during his talk in the library, urged the children and young students to make it a habit to read something everyday. He also gave away the first few membership cards to the staff of the Presidential Estate. He promised that new publications that reach the Rashtrapati Bhavan will be made available to the 'reference and reading section' of the new library named after him.

President Pranab Mukherjee with sculptor Ram Sutar and Gandhi Smriti and Gandhi Darshan Samiti Director Manimala after unveiling the bronze statue of Mahatama Gandhi at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi

Make Rashtrapati Bhavan accessible to public
 Every effort should be made to increase accessibility of Rashtrapati Bhavan to the public, President Pranab Mukherjee said today as he launched a new section of digital initiatives. "The common citizens of our country always have the desire and curiosity to know more about the highest constitutional office in the land," he said. The President said he is very happy to note that a substantial portion of Rashtrapati Bhavan has been opened to public viewing by giving reasonable access to visitors "who want to explore its rich history and architectural heritage and the history leading to the creation of our nation". "This would serve, in a good measure, to educate the young generation and inculcate in them a sense of pride and nationalism. I would like to see the Rashtrapati Bhavan playing an important role in further spreading this sense of pride amongst the citizens," he said. As part of digital initiatives, historical speeches, documentaries and newsreels procured from AIR and Films Division have been added to the new-look Rashtrapati Bhavan website. A video, "The Presidency: Glimpses of First Year", will be added to the website which will cover important events over the past one year in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President's Estate. A digital photo library with photographs of the first year of Mukherjee's presidency is being added to the website.