Gujarat CM reviews Swachhata Hi Seva campaign prep

Gandhinagar : The ‘Swachhata Hi Seva-2024’ campaign will launch nationwide on 17th September, marking Prime Minister  Narendra Modi’s birthday, who inspires the movement for cleanliness and good governance. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is dedicated to making this campaign, which showcases the collective spirit of ‘Swabhav Swachhata-Sanskar Swachhata,’ a success through widespread public participation in Gujarat. 

To achieve this, the Chief Minister conducted a video conference from Gandhinagar with Municipal Commissioners and District Collectors from major cities, where he thoroughly reviewed the final operational plans for the campaign. In the meeting, Shri Bhupendra Patel stressed the importance of establishing a mechanism to ensure that cleanliness and sanitation programs are sustained throughout the state year-round, thereby truly embodying ‘Swabhav Swachhata-Sanskar Swachhata.’ Additionally, the Chief Minister reviewed the pre-planning of the 10th phase of “Seva Setu,” an innovative initiative designed to provide on-site resolutions for citizens’ issues by strengthening the State Government’s transparent, responsive, and proactive administrative system.

The “Swachhta Hi Seva-2024” campaign and the 10th phase of Seva Setu in Gujarat will take place from 17 September to 31 October with extensive public participation. Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel recently reviewed the detailed plans for both initiatives during a video conference. Chief Secretary Shri Raj Kumar provided a thorough evaluation of the system’s readiness in cities and districts. This year’s “Swachhta Hi Seva-2024” campaign will be organized around three key pillars. Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) will be identified and cleaned within a specified timeframe, with general cleanliness also prioritized. The state has identified a total of 14,778 CTUs. The campaign will feature a range of activities to foster public engagement, including cleanliness oaths, street dramas, wall paintings, waste-to-art projects, and cultural programs themed around cleanliness. To encourage cleanliness in government offices, competitions will be held at district and state levels, complemented by a collective cleanliness oath. The third pillar of the campaign involves offering protection camps, health check-ups, and social security schemes for Swachhta Mitras, the cleaning workers. As part of Nirmal Gujarat 2.0, 222 awards totalling ₹34.80 crore will recognize the best districts, talukas, and villages for their excellence in cleanliness during the “Swachhta Hi Seva-2024” campaign in rural areas.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has instructed that the campaign address engineering and sanitation issues, in addition to public sanitation and the repair of roads and drains impacted by rain. He also stressed the importance of strengthening the on-the-spot problem-solving system and ensuring effective arrangements for beneficiaries accessing various schemes through ‘Seva Setu.’ The video conference was attended by Additional Chief Secretaries Pankaj Joshi and  M.K. Das, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Dr Jayanthi Ravi, and senior secretaries from relevant departments.