NEW DELHI, Sept 30: Government will involve business and industrial chambers, residents welfare associations and NGOs among others to create mass awareness about its ambitious ‘Clean India’ campaign.
Besides, the central government ministries have been asked to be in touch with their counterparts in states and union territories to emphasize upon the need for cleanliness in public places.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call for ‘Swachh Bharat’ (Clean India) as a mass movement to realize Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean India by 2019, when the country will celebrate 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation.
“For a campaign of this nature to be successful, there is a need to create massive public awareness and to ensure participation and action for cleaning homes, government offices, schools, hospitals, work places, streets, roads and markets, railway stations and bus terminals, statues, monuments, rivers, lakes, ponds, parks and other public places.
“It is important to involve government and public sector officials at every level, non-government organizations, education and health institutions, rural and urban local bodies, self-help groups, youth organizations, resident and market associations as well as business and industrial chambers and associations in the cleanliness and awareness drives,” Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth said in a communique to all government ministries.
A variety of activities such as pledge-taking marches, marathons, debates, street plays, music and essay competitions, cleaning drives and other community activities may be used to focus public attention on this campaign and on the need for cleanliness, Seth said.
“Effective use of mass media such as radio, television and
newspapers, digital media such as Internet and mobile and direct media may be made in this regard,” he said.
Seth said Union Ministers of the departments of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Urban Development have already written to Chief Ministers of States on this matter.
“Similarly, Secretaries of the Departments of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Urban Development have also written to Chief Secretaries or Administrators of states or union territories.
“I am sure other ministries too are in touch with the corresponding departments in states or union territories to ensure the widest possible dissemination of information regarding this campaign,” the Cabinet Secretary said in the letter to all central government secretaries.
A “swachhta shapath” or cleanliness pledge will be administered to all in government offices and public functions or events and cleanliness drive led by senior officers will be undertaken in all government and public offices, Seth said.
Meanwhile, the departments heads have swung into action and directed the concerned officials to clean office premises of clutter, garbage, building materials, unused vehicles and others.
Many ministers have also started paying surprise visits to offices under them to check the effectiveness of the drive.
“The department secretaries or senior officials will also make a surprise visits to offices under them to ensure that the campaign in followed in away instructed by the Cabinet Secretary,” a senior official in Ministry of Personnel said. (PTI)
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