The ‘Swachh Bharat Day’ (Clean India Day) will be observed as a part of Statewide Gram Swaraj Mission in about 20,000 villages of 10,971 gram panchayats in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.
Several programmes will be conducted with the active participation of the citizens of the village panchayats on ‘Swachhta’ (Cleanliness), officials informed.
The residents of those villages which have not yet been declared ‘Open Defecation -Free’ will be encouraged to take it up as a mass movement.
Chief Minister Raman Singh appealed to the panchs-sarpanchs and villagers to participate in huge numbers in ‘Swachh Bharat Divas’ on Wednesdat. Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ajay Chandrakar urged the panchayat representatives and common citizens to co-operate whole-heartedly in the mission.
It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accorded top priority to ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and launched it more than three years ago. There are 10,971 gram panchayats out of which ten thousand 725 gram panchayats are on the verge of being declared ‘Open Defecation-Free’.
Efforts are being made to make villages in the left-Wing Extremism affected districts also free from pollution. The Mission had been launched on October 2, 2014 (Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary). The target is to make the entire nation ‘Open Defecation-Free’ on the 150th Jayanti of Father of the Nation on 2nd October 2019.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had decided to complete the mission one year ahead on October 2, 2018.
State Panchayat and Rural Development Department Additional Chief Secretary R P Mandal had issued a circular to all the District Collectors to make it as a mass movement.
Necessary directives had been issued to all the Collectors as per the schedule from April 14 to May 5. Several programmes will be held at gram panchayats, development blocks and districts-level.
Panchayat Department Director Taran Prakash Sinha said that people’s representatives, ‘swachhta’ Champions, officers, employees and common citizens will be honoured for their exemplary work on April 20 . Cycle and motor-cycles’ rally will be conducted to raise awareness level among the general public.
Workshops on ODF will be held in all the villages. Competitions will be conducted in schools on ‘Swachhta’. Tulsi and ‘peepal’ saplings will be planted where the surroundings are neat and clean.
He added that Food Department will hold ‘Ujjwala Diwas’ on April . Domestic cooking gas connections will provided to poor women at villages, development blocks and districts.