P.V.Anandpadmanabhan

The spirit of Swachh Bharat reverberated through the city of Delhi today. Prime Minister was welcomed by five thousand children with loud cheer. Children were enthusiastically waving flags and placards in support of cleanliness drive. Film on Swachhta Mission was watched with rapt attention by everyone present.

Before administrating the oath, renowned actor and social activists, Aamir Khan was called on the stage and then the pledge was administrated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister asked everyone to raise their hands and think of Mahatma Gandhi while taking the oath.

To the utter delight of children the Prime Minister started walking with them for some distance, despite being on fast, after flagging off the Walkathon. People from all walks from life gathered at Rajpath on the occasion. At Valmiki Basti, the Prime Minister exhorted children to become "Swachhta Senanis"

"Let us fulfil Mahatma Gandhi`s vision of Clean India – Swachh Bharat".

"Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan" should be approached with a bipartisan spirit of patriotism"

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi`s vision of clean India. Launching the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan at Rajpath in New Delhi, the Prime Minister paid homage to two great sons of mother India, Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, on their birth anniversary.

He recalled how the nation`s farmers had responded to Shastri`s call of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan," and made India self-sufficient in food security. He said that out of Gandhiji`s two dreams – Quit India, and Clean India, the people had helped to ensure that the first became a reality. However, the second dream – clean India – still remained unfulfilled. The Prime Minister said it was our social responsibility as citizens of India to help fulfil Gandhiji`s vision of clean India, by his 150th birth anniversary in 2019.

Swachh Bharat Mission appeal by Prime Minister particularly to political and religious leadership, mayors, sarpanchs and captains of industry to plan and whole heartedly engage in the task of cleaning own homes, work places, villages, cities and surroundings, with active support and participation in its  collective quest to make a Swachh Bharat.

The Minister for Law and Justice and Telecom and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched cleanliness drive at Shastri Bhawan compound wherein he aspired to have a clean India by 2019.” It is not symbolic, but is a new beginning in India to make clean India a mass movement, he added. 

The special cleaning drive was started by Defence Ministry under ‘Swachh Bharat” Campaign on September 26.

The Prime Minister`s Office initiated a special cleanliness drive in the PMO premises on September 27. On this occasion, all the officials and staff cleaned the identified places within the premises. 

The staff participated in the cleanliness exercise with enthusiasm and helped in cleaning the corridors, floors, basement, parking area, lawn etc. of the office building. Principal Secretary, Nripendra Misra motivated the staff during the cleanliness drive. 

During the cleanliness drive, old furniture, newspapers etc. were removed from the premises for disposal. Disinfectants were also sprayed during the exercise. The corridor walls were given a new look with painting and photo frames. Various competitions including essay, debate, painting competition etc. were also organized. 

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani initiated the Swachh Bharat-Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign at Kendriya Vidyalaya in New Delhi. The Union Minister used a broom and a shovel to clean the ground of the school. While addressing the teachers and the students of the school the Minister appealed to everyone to become a part of this campaign and contribute their efforts to make the drive a big success.

The Swatchh Bharat Abhiyan was launched in Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 27 with all officers and staff, including those from President’s Bodyguard, Army Guard and Delhi Police undertaking a cleanliness drive within the President’s Estate. 

Around 35 officers and 2000 employees of the President’s Secretariat led by Secretary to the President, Ms. Omita Paul took part in cleanliness initiatives in three different sections of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The weekend of September 27 and 28, 2014 were declared working days for all officers and staff. The cleanliness drive continued till October 2, 2014 (Gandhi Jayanti). 

Millions of people across the country are joining daily in the cleanliness initiatives of the government departments, NGOs and local community centres to make India completely clean by 2019. Swachh Bharat Mission, a massive mass movement that seeks to create a clean India.

The Union Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Nitin Gadkari said that this will be converted into a mass movement to make India an open defecation free country in Five Years. He said, one lakh thirty four thousand crore rupees will be spent for construction of about 11 crore 11 lakh toilets in the country. The Minister also underlined that technology will be used on a large scale to convert waste into wealth in rural India in the forms of bio-fertilizer and different forms of energy.

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Villas Paswan kicked off ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) headquarter with an appeal to the employees to wholeheartedly join the countrywide cleanliness drive. Sweeping the complex of FCI, Paswan said, “Swachh Bharat Mission is a laudable campaign being launched.

The Prime Minister applauded and appreciated the work done by all previous Governments and social, religious and cultural organizations towards cleanliness. He repeatedly emphasized that the work of cleaning India cannot be done by one person, or by Government functionaries alone – it has to be done by 125 crore people, who are sons and daughters of Mother India. He said the work of Swachh Bharat should become a mass movement, and people should neither litter, nor let others litter (na gandagi karenge, na karne denge).