NEW DELHI: The Government and BJP are leaving no stone unturned to mark the third anniversary of Swachch Bharat Mission on October 2. Party leaders including senior ministers have been instructed by the party leadership to participate in a campaign ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ (Cleanliness is Service) which would kick start on September 15.
Meanwhile, sources said that urban local bodies have also been told to make the event a success and Cricketer Gautam Gambhir might be roped in as a brand ambassador of the campaign to make the campaign a big event.
In his recent Mann ki baat programme, PM Narendra Modi had said that the campaign should be kick-started at least 15-20 days prior to the Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 on the lines of the age-old belief ‘Jal Seva Yahi Prabhu Seva’ (Service to Water is Service of God).
“I urge all NGOs, schools, colleges, social, cultural, and political leaders, people in the government, collectors, and sarpanches, to begin creating an environment of cleanliness at least fifteen days ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, so that it realises Gandhi's dream,” Modi had said last month.
Duration of the campaign ‘Cleanliness is Service’ coincides with the birthday of the PM which is on September 17 and party sources said that leaders have been asked to organise cleanliness drive in their respective areas.
BJP sources said that ministers have been told to move across the country on the occasion and spread the message of cleanliness among masses. Union minister Prakash Javadekar will be in Maharashtra on the occasion while Thawar Chand Gehlot will be in Rajasthan along with the Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhra Raje.
President Ram Nath Kovind will be in Utter Pradesh and among other activities he will also launch the 'Swachhta hi Sewa' programme from a village.
The Prime Minister had also said that the campaign of cleanliness which was initiated three years ago will be making its third anniversary on the 2nd of October, asserting that the number of toilets has increased from 39 per cent to almost 67 per cent and more than 2 lakh 30 thousand villages have become Open-Defecation Free (ODF).
Ministry of housing and urban affairs has already instructed the mission directors of the Swachh Bharat Mission across the country to rope in schools, colleges, RWAs, municipal workers and others to make the third anniversary of the mission a successful event.