Jammu: A massive promotional rally Monday marked the conclusion of the fortnightly ‘Swacchta Hi Sewa’ campaign and third anniversary of ‘Swacch Bharat Mission’.
The Walkathon organized by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) was flagged off from Town Hall building by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, Speaker J&K legislative Assembly, Kavinder Gupta, and Minister of State for Education, Tourism and Culture, Priya Sethi, in presence of MLA Jammu East Rajesh Gupta and senior civil and police officers, civil society members and prominent political leaders. They also joined the Walkathon with scores of school children, NCC cadets, JMC officials, Civic workers, besides representatives of voluntary organizations, which culminated at the site of wall paintings created by local students at Asia Chowk.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister said the day has great significance as it coincides with the birth anniversary of great personalities of India Mahatma Gandhi and Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as well as anniversary of world’s largest cleanliness campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi three years back.
He said Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi was the preeminent campaigner who envisioned that his countrymen lead a clean and hygienic life, while the concept of ‘clean India’ became talk of every household after PM Narendra Modi took personal pains to make it a national movement.
He said over the years the movement has gained roots but there is still a need to make every individual realize the social responsibility of keeping the country neat and clean. “Our Nation has glorious past with documented history of 5000 years. It was great and is great but the need is to rise to the occasion and compete with the world. He said it is highly regretful that the nations which have comparatively very short existence are far ahead when it comes to cleanliness.
He said all stakeholders should realize that only clean India will lead us to emerge as strong and healthy nation.
In his address Speaker Kavinder Gupta also stressed on the need for participatory development with wider involvement of public towards realization of clean and strong India in a mission mode.
He called upon young people to act as agents to take the message of peace, cleanliness and harmony to every household of the country.
Minister of State Priya Sethi said the Clean India Mission signifies healthy India for which every individual has to strive. She called upon the people, especially youth to make it a mass movement and encourage people to give some hours towards cleanliness.
