Senior citizens across the country will soon be doing their bit to promote the objectives of the Government’s ambitious nationwide cleanliness campaign ‘Swachchh Bharat Mission’ that aims to make the country open defecation free by 2019.
The Centre has recently asked the State Governments to look for meaningful engagement of the senior citizens in their areas for their participation in the Mission which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2 last year. The Mission is being launched in the urban and rural areas respectively by the Urban Development Ministry and Water and Sanitation Ministry.
Urban Development Secretary has recently written a letter to all the States seeking participation of elders in the society in a big way to help make the Mission a success.
As their experience can be used in various ways to promote the objectives of the programme, the senior citizens, in the process, will feel a sense of usefulness to society, ownership of the results and pride in their contribution to improving the living condition around them, said Urban Development Secretary M Prasad in a circular issued to all the States recently.
It is being felt that retired Government and non-Government officials residing in respective districts comprise a significant and respected human resources, who are looking for meaningful engagement and recognition rather than remuneration.
The Ministry has already identified a string of activities where senior citizens can be roped in.
“The elders can participate in educating students at schools and colleges on the aspects of personal and community hygiene; motivate citizens through behavioural change about hygiene and sanitation practices, mobilise the local community for shram daan activities to clean local parks, streets, roads, drains and garbage bins,” said the circular.
They can also volunteer experiences and skills to train functionaries involved in the effective implementation of the SBM and also act as sanitation warden to monitor and report to urban local bodies instances of poor sanitation services.
“Senior citizens should be proactively involved and with their experience they would require only half-day orientation workshops. We feel that involving participation of local citizens will lead to more effective implementation of the mission and other activities of the municipalities,” says the circular.