After faring poorly in the first year of Swachchh Bharat Mission, Jharkhand is now eyeing to pick up the pace in the campaign, so much so that the State will achieve the goal of becoming a completely clean one by 2018, claimed Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Addressing the inaugural session of a nationwide cleanliness drive by Shri Kalki Manav Seva Samiti on Sunday, Das said that the State will achieve all the parameters of cleanliness one year before the stipulated time limit of 2019 set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Urging present volunteers to expand the motive of the cleanliness drive to their localities, Das said, “Cities of Jharkhand were placed in the bottom half of the list of clean cities in India after completion of one year of Swachchh Bharat Mission. This is a blot on our name which has to be cleared. Once you go back, endeavour to clean your cities as well as add more people to this initiative.”
He further said, “The attitude of assigning all responsibilities to the Government has to be done away with. The Government can assist and support but the society has to take initiative first. Society is greater than any regime or political party. People have to come forward to bring about a change.”
Maintaining standards of cleanliness will also be helpful on the economic front too for public and Government both, said the CM. “If our neighbourhoods remain clean, the spread of diseases can be checked to a great extent. This will help to cut down the medical expenses we have to bear because of these diseases. The Government will find some breathing room while drafting the Budget for the health sector and use the surplus funds on other developmental projects for the benefit of the people,” he said.
lauding the participation registered in Swachchh Bharat Mission, Das said, “As Mahatma Gandhi aptly suggested, political movement cannot bring about a change, there has to be some creative work accompanying it. Through the Swachchh Bharat Mission, PM of the nation provided an opportunity for creative work to the nation, and it received positive response too. Especially, the enthusiasm exhibited by non-government organisations is commendable.”
“Unless we clean ourselves first, we have no right to preach others to maintain hygiene either. Here we litter without a thought, but then maintain cleanliness while visiting other cleaner cities in India or abroad. So if we can follow hygienic practises outside our nation and State, then why not here too,” said Naveen Jaiswal, Member of legislative Assembly (MlA) from Hatia constituency.
“Spreading awareness is key in maintaining cleanliness. We need to remember that cleaning our houses and dumping the trash in others houses is not going to help make a cleaner society,” said Kanke MlA Jeetu Charan Ram.
The CM and MlAs also took brooms to clean the streets in Bariatu. Residents of an apartment nearby informed him of drain water flowing in their campus, to which he assured that apt action will be taken.