Ahead of Gita Mahotsav, CM Saini launches clean-up drive in Kurukshetra

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday called upon Kurukshetra residents to make efforts to keep the city clean.

He launched the Swachh Kurukshetra Cleanliness Campaign near Sheikh Chilli Tomb. He participated in the sanitation drive for nearly one hour near Sheikh Chilli Tomb, OP Jindal Park, Tau Devi Lal Chowk, and Jyotiba Phule Chowk. The Chief Minister was seen using a broom, collecting and dumping garbage in dustbins. The CM also flagged off a Gita Mahotsav Swachhta vehicle to create awareness in the city regarding sanitation.

Thanesar city has been divided into 18 zones for the sanitation drive.

The CM said, “Every year, the International Gita Mahotsav is organised at a grand scale in Kurukshetra and it will begin from Thursday. The sermon of Gita was delivered here, the entire world is looking at Kurukshetra and we have a big responsibility to keep it clean. Lakhs of people from country and abroad will reach Kurukshetra to attend the International Gita Mahotsav and they should return with a memory of a clean and beautiful Kurukshetra. We should make collective efforts to improve sanitation conditions of Kurukshetra.”

“I have told the Deputy Commissioner that there should be no compromise on sanitation conditions and strict measures would be taken to improve the situation. Directions have been issued to place dustbins at public places and appeal to the public to cooperate with the administration in keeping Kurukshetra clean. The civic bodies and the panchayat department have been directed to take appropriate measures to ensure cleanliness in the state,” he added.

Saini said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon the people to join the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan across the country. When there is a clean environment, people will definitely get rid of diseases and when all citizens are healthy, the country will move forward on the path of progress.

“Haryana will now progress at three times the speed. The development of this state will be done in a planned manner. First of all, Haryana has to be made completely clean. The issue of shortage of employees in all the urban local bodies (ULBs) is being addressed. Whatever resources are required for this city will be provided by the government,” said the CM.

Saini said that 17 urban local bodies of the state had been certified as Open Defecation-Free (ODF), 59 civic bodies as ODF-Plus and two civic bodies have been certified as Water Plus under the Swachh Bharat Mission. In the Swachh Survekshan-2023, Haryana secured the 14th position at the national level in the category of states with less than 100 urban local bodies. Constant efforts are being made to further improve the cleanliness and a better ranking would be achieved in the next survey, he said.

Former Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha, BJP district chief Sushil Rana, Deputy Commissioner Neha Singh, and several other officials were present during the sanitation drive.