Luck has been smiling on six-year-old Prince since the nation watched him being rescued from a 60-feet-deep pit last week with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday announcing free education for him and declaring his village a model village.

A week after the country watched the dramatic rescue operation, the chief minister visited Prince's family at his residence in Haldheri and enquired about the child's health even as residents of the village gathered to thank everyone, particularly the army, for pitching in to save him.

The villagers started gathering since early morning at the gurudwara, which lies at a stone's throw from the narrow pit where Prince had fallen on the evening of July 21 before being pulled out in a well-executed operation.

An 'Akhand Paath' was organised at the gurudwara and people offered prayers and thanked all those who had chipped in with their contribution in the rescue effort.

Hooda said that developmental works involving an investment of about Rs 20 lakh would be implemented in the village and it would be given a facelift.

The chief minister, who had last Sunday spent several hours at the site where massive rescue efforts had been launched to pull out Prince from the pit, also announced cash awards for all those who had made significant contributions towards saving the life of the child, whose well being had concerned the entire country.