Major ‘clean up’ drive in Delhi next month, says Kejriwal

AAP government will launch a major drive next month to clean up Delhi of “all garbage and debris” as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday extending “full support” to the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal announced the government’s decision in this regard while briefing the media after meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at Andhra Bhavan here.

“On November 21st and 22nd we are doing a big exercise to clean up Delhi in two days to remove all the garbage and construction material all across Delhi as part of Swachh Bharat campaign,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal, who is a member of NITI <g data-gr-id="32">Ayog’s</g> Chief Ministers’ Sub-Group on Swachh Bharat Mission, met Naidu, who is the chairperson of the grouping. Naidu on Wednesday submitted the group’s report to the Prime Minister.

Naidu also invited Kejriwal for the foundation stone laying ceremony of Andhra Pradesh’s upcoming capital ‘Amaravati’ on October 22. The Delhi Chief Minister accepted the invite and said he will “certainly” attend the event.

“Today I came to meet him and expressed full support for the Swachh Bharat campaign although due to some preoccupations I could not attend the meetings of the group,” Kejriwal told reporters.

Earlier on October 2, Kejriwal had taken a jibe at Modi saying he has witnessed only “<g data-gr-id="36">showbaazi</g>” and not any real action in the Swachh Bharat campaign over the last one year.

“1 yr of <g data-gr-id="34">swach</g> <g data-gr-id="35">bharat</g>. Which streets got cleaned as a result of ‘this campaign’? How much budget spent on it? Time to question symbolism? (sic),” he had tweeted.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched last year on the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The campaign aims at making India a clean country by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi.