SBM is to fulfill Gandhiji’s dream of a clean India: Gov

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

Uttarakhand governor Dr KK Paul has categorically said that Mahatma Gandhi began his cleanliness efforts while he was in South Africa. In 2014, prime minister Narendra Modi stressed upon the importance of cleanliness and linked the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) to Gandhiji’s dream of a clean India. In the last three years, this mission had been successful and around 25 crore people had become open defecation free. The acceptability of the mission was increasing. We should follow the PM’s slogan “na gandagi karunga aur na hi gandagi karne dunga”. This mission should carry on.

Later he along with chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat distributed prizes among winners of the short film and essay competitions and the Ganga Art Marathon organized under the Swachh Sankalp se Swachh Siddhi mission here in ONGC auditorium on the occasion of swachh Bharat diwas on Monday. People who have been working excellently for the Sawchh Bharat Mission were also honoured on the occasion. Among them were the VC of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (which got the first position in cleanliness  on the national level among the institutions of higher education), CDO of Bageshwar District  (which has also obtained first position among the rural districts in Swachh Bharat Mission on the national level,  and DM of Uttarkashi district for his initiative for enhancing awareness of cleanliness.

CM Rawat said that peoples’ participation in the mission was very important. It could not be confined to the government but must become a peoples’ movement. The new generation would have to contribute to the mission and make cleanliness a part of their lives. Uttarakhand was the fourth state in the country to become open defecation free(ODF). Till March 2018, it was being aimed that the urban areas would also become ODF.He expressed gratitude towards urban development minister and now vice president M Venkaiah Naidu for increasing the amount from  Rs 4000 to Rs. 10, 800  for building toilets. Rishikesh and Haridwar, community toilets would be constructed. The people of Uttarakhand had a great responsibility for keeping the Ganga clean.

Other dignitaries including higher education minister Dr.Dhan Singh Rawat, MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, BJP state president Ajay Bhatt, chief secretary S.Ramaswamy and other eminent persons were present there.