Chandigarh: With a resolve to make the urban areas of Punjab cleaner, greener and livable, the Bhagwant Mann government has launched a special 10-day 'Mission Clean Punjab' campaign across the state. This massive campaign based on the basic mantra of 'Clean Punjab, Proud Punjab' will start from 29th August and continue till 7th September. The most special thing about this campaign is that instead of limiting the claims of cleanliness to papers only, the entire team of cabinet ministers, MLAs, mayors, councilors and administrative officials are themselves taking to the streets every morning and reviewing the cleanliness arrangements on the ground. The main focus of the government is to make them garbage free forever by identifying those places where garbage is repeatedly dumped illegally.
Ministers took command in Nangal and Kotkapura
Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains led the cleanliness drive in Nangal of Sri Anandpur Sahib. He himself took part in the cleaning activities by picking up the broom and interacted directly with the local residents and cleaning workers. During this, Harjot Singh Bains said that the responsibility of keeping the cities clean cannot be left only to the sanitation workers, but citizens and local businessmen will also have to contribute actively in this. He clarified that the objective of this campaign is to create a sustainable system along with immediate cleaning, through which garbage dumping points can be regularly monitored.
On the other hand, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan launched the campaign in Kotkapura. He honored the frontline sanitation workers who have made invaluable contribution to the cleanliness of the city and then joined them in cleaning work. Speaker Sandhwan said that secondary waste collection centers will be completely cleaned in various parts of Kotkapura and Faridkot districts. In order to ensure transparency and accountability in the system, a list of sanitation workers and supervisors deployed in all the wards will be prepared and made public on the government portal.
Representatives took to the streets across Punjab
In this campaign which has taken a statewide form, ministers and public representatives registered their presence in almost every major city of Punjab. Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh himself led the campaign by sweeping the floor at Thapar Chowk in Patiala and gave the message that cleanliness is directly related to public health, because piles of garbage become the cause of serious diseases. At Jalandhar's Nakodar Chowk, Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat took command, while at Jandiala Guru, Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO took charge along with local body representatives.
Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Saundh in Khanna and MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa in Baltana (Zirakpur) launched the campaigns with the message of a garbage-free city. In Amritsar, MLA Dr. Ajay Gupta and Mayor Jatinder Pal Singh Moti Bhatia supervised the cleanliness system, while in Sirhind, MLA Lakhbir Singh Rai took the responsibility. MLA in Sangrur Narinder Kaur Bharaj, MLA in Moga Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora and Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia, MLA in Bassi Pathana Rupinder Singh Happy, MP in Phagwara Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal and MLA in Ajnala Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal along with administrative officials got the heaps of garbage cleared from the areas.
Citizens will connect with 'M-Seva' app, emphasis on sustainable system
The government has taken the help of 'M-Seva' mobile app to ensure participation of common citizens in this mega campaign. Any citizen of the state can report through this app by taking a photo of the filth or garbage heaps spread around him, on which the Municipal Corporation and local body teams will take immediate action. The ultimate goal of this initiative of the government is not to be limited to just 10 days of temporary cleanliness, but to strengthen the urban administrative system of Punjab so much that a new culture of cleanliness can be established permanently across the state.