Naidu calls for Citizen Councils to improve cleanliness across Capital

Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu called upon the park-owning authorities like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to establish “citizen councils” that can ensure cleanliness of parks in  the national Capital.

Declaring open “Swachhta Pakhwada”, a fortnight-long drive to ensure cleanliness in parks, the Urban Development Minister urged citizens to take guardianship of parks to maintain their cleanliness and functionality.  

“Every area should have citizen councils which will have members nominated by resident welfare associations of the particular area and these councils will aid the DDA and MCs in maintaining cleanliness in parks,” he said at the Hauz Khas District Park.

Naidu stressed on the need to change the mind-set that dictates: it is only government’s responsibility for ensuring sanitation and hygiene. “Cleanliness and rejuvenation of environment through rain water harvesting and tree plantation cannot be done by only government authorities. Unless and until these are taken up as mass movement with mass participation of citizen it will not be successful. My call for citizen councils is an effort to ensure citizen participation is initiated,” he added.

“There are 800 parks under DDA and all small parks have been handed over to municipal corporations. I have also asked them to hand over the guardianship of the parks to citizens who would see that cleanliness is being undertaken seriously. This public and private participation can ensure the success of this cleanliness drive,” the minister added.

“When Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched, the Prime Minister had told us that he doesn’t want it to be a political initiative but a people’s movement. 

Keeping that in mind we all have to participate in the programme by making it our programme and then converting that into people’s movement.  Everybody has to be aware and everybody has to contribute,” the minister said.

The function was also attended by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi and BJP MLA Vijender Gupta.