Himachal Governor Bandaru Dattatraya and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday paid their respect on the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi by garlanding his statue at the Ridge here and saying there was a need to adopt Gandhiji's humanistic message and ideology in life.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in the presence of the Governor launched 'Swachhta Hi Seva' programme, the State level 'Shramdaan' programme at The Ridge, Shimla.
Dattatraya said that plastic has become a curse for science in the present and poses a grave threat to mankind. He expressed his happiness that Himachal Pradesh was the first state in the country to tackle the threat of Plastic and other Non-biodegradable Waste.
The Governor said that the polythene waste collected through various awareness campaigns being run in the state was being used as an alternative in road construction and as fuel in cement kilns, which was helpful in reducing plastic waste from the earth, water and air.
Thakur said that Clean India would be the best tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, adding that people from different sections of society should come forward and join this mass movement of cleanliness by involving NGOs and local communities to make India clean.
He also launched dustbin distribution scheme to ECO Clubs of Schools.
The Governor and Chief Minister also participated in a cleanliness drive at Ridge. They along with others also visited the famous Indian Coffee House and interacted with the tourists there.
Patriotic songs and bhajans were also chanted on the occasion. Later, the Chief Minister and Governor paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at CTO Chowk on his birth anniversary.