Maharashtra Governor flags off national cleanliness drive in Maharashtra starting from two of its most prominent administrative buildings; more follow.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in
The Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao yesterday launched a cleanliness drive at Mantralaya and Raj Bhavan as part of the Swachcha Bharat Abhiyaan. The Governor was accompanied by Advisor Anil Baijal, Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya, Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte and others, who cleaned a part of the Mantralaya to mark the formal beginning of the campaign. The Governor, accompanied by his wife Vinodha, launched a similar drive involving his staff at Raj Bhavan.
Speaking to journalists at Raj Bhavan, the Governor announced the appointment of nine eminent personalities as honorary ambassadors for the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan in the State. They include renowned spiritual leader Shri Dattatreya Narayan aka Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, film actor Abhishek Bachchan, Nita Ambani, Rajashree Birla, singer Sunidhi Chauhan, popular Marathi actor Makrand Anaspure, ace shooter Anjali Bhagwat, Monika More (who lost both her arms in a train accident recently) and Tushar Gandhi.
The Governor said, “In his Independence Day Speech, the Hon’ble Prime Minister has laid considerable stress on making our cities, towns, villages, schools, temples and public places clean. He has also laid stress on sanitation and provision of separate toilets for girls in all schools.
“I do feel that a lot needs to be done, both in the city of Mumbai and in Maharashtra to emerge as the cleanest State in the country. Maharashtra has made pioneering efforts in the cleanliness campaign in the form of the Sant Gadge Baba Abhiyan. We have to give a major impetus to the campaign under the leadership of the Prime Minister. We have to focus on public places, beginning with Railway Stations, Hospitals, Offices, market places and so on. I am visiting the Sir JJ Hospital on October 18 as part of the campaign. Sensitising children is also a part of the campaign, and I have asked the Secretary of School Education to draw up a plan to create awareness among children about the Swachchata Abhiyaan.”