‘Swachhata’ Does Not Add To Costs But Boosts Productivity, Conserves Resources: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

New Delhi: ‘Swachhata’ does not add to costs but boosts productivity and conserves resources, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday (September 20). During his visit to the Finance Ministry offices in North Block to oversee preparations for the ‘Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0’, he asked the senior officers to aim for reducing pendency in government offices with a saturation approach. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel said,

Swachhata, viz cleanliness, does not add to costs but, in fact, boosts productivity and conserves resources.

He said, close to 90 lakh square feet of prime office space has been cleared during the last two swachhata campaigns and put into productive usage.

Also Read: Fortnight-Long Swachhata Hi Seva Programme Launched

Besides, the government generated a revenue of Rs 370.83 crore from the disposal of scrap, 64.92 lakh files were reviewed, 4.56 lakh public grievances were redressed and 8,998 MPs’ references replied, a statement issued by the personnel ministry said.

Swachhata campaign also spurred e-office work culture in the government and now more than 90 per cent of file work has been made online, it said.

The Union government has announced the special campaign 3.0 from October 2, 2023, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, till October 31, 2023. The campaign is a sequel to the special campaigns conducted in the last two years.

The special campaign 3.0 will focus on field/outstation offices responsible for service delivery or having a public interface, in addition to the ministries/departments and their attached/subordinate offices, the statement said.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is the nodal department for the implementation of the special campaign 3.0.

Mr Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi transformed the swachhata campaign into a “jan andolan”.

Also Read: ‘Mera Vidyalaya-Swachh Vidyalaya’ Campaign To Run Across Uttar Pradesh Till Gandhi Jayanti

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.