Madhya Pradesh leading the way in Swachhata campaign in country, says President Murmu

Bhopal: President Draupadi Murmu said that only cleanliness can make a country healthy and everyone should contribute to the Swachhata campaign to make India a developed nation.

The President made the remarks while addressing a sanitation workers’ award function in Madhya Pradesh’s Dandia village in Ujjain on Thursday. On the occasion, Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav were also present.

Murmu was on a two-day visit to the state. “Madhya Pradesh has achieved a leading position in cleanliness in both urban and rural areas of the country. Many cities of the state have been declared the best cities for cleanliness,” she said.

“Indore has been declared the cleanest city in the country for the seventh consecutive time and Bhopal has become the cleanest state capital in the country,” the President said.

Murmu also appreciated CM Yadav and his team for the remarkable work done under the Swachhata campaign.

“The sanitation workers are frontline warriors in cleanliness. I feel proud to honour them today. We will secure the safety, dignity and welfare of sanitation workers. Machine holes are being made in the country by eliminating manholes,” she said.

During the event, the President felicitated safai mitras Rashmi Tankale, Kiran Khode, Shobha Ghavari, Anita Chavre and Gopal Khare.

The President also laid the foundation stone of the Ujjain-Indore six-lane road to be constructed at Rs 1,692 crore.

Swachhata has become a nationwide mass campaign in India in the last 10 years and in the second phase of the campaign, the goal of total cleanliness in the country is to be achieved by 2025, the President added.

Murmu also said that Avantika (formerly Ujjain’s name) is the holy, divine and sacred city of Baba Mahakal, the Gupta period was the golden age in Indian history and at that time Ujjain was an important

city in the country.

The tradition of culture and civilisation of Ujjain is ancient, and around 2,000 years ago the city was a major centre of transport system and international trade. She said the efforts of Yadav are commendable to the overall development of the state including Ujjain.

During her visit to the state, the President also observed an exhibition set-up on the theme of the Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign in Ujjain and attended the convocation of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in Indore.

She also offered puja in the Mahakal temple, one of the 12 jyotirlingas in Ujjain and cleaned the premises of the temple along with the Governor and CM.

On the occasion, CM Yadav said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touched every dimension of achieving the pride of the world’s largest democracy through his works.

The PM has given the message of cleanliness through the safai mitras in all areas of development, he added.