Ahmedabad, Oct 3 (IANS) Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil called upon citizens to make cleanliness an integral part of daily lives, behaviour and collective responsibility, vowing not to litter and to prevent others from doing so, an official said on Saturday.
Felicitating sanitation workers while participating in a Special Gram Sabha at Majigam village in Chikhli Block, Navsari District, Gujarat on Swachh Bharat Diwas on Friday, Patil asked everyone to make cleanliness a collective commitment and not merely a one-day campaign.
He recalled the emphasis placed by Mahatma Gandhi on ‘Swachhata’ alongside ‘Swatantrata’ and mentioned how post-Independence the most significant efforts for Swachhata have been undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Under this, a nationwide Jan Andolan in the form of Swachh Bharat Mission has transformed the rural sanitation scenario. This Janbhagidari for Swachh Bharat continues to drive the mission at grassroots level,” he said.
During the Special Gram Sabha, the Union Minister felicitated sanitation workers. Discussions focused on achievements of Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2026, the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 and Swachh Seva Aankalan, the Gram Panchayat level annual digital self-assessment framework on which a presentation was made by a senior ministry official.
The Special Gram Sabha was also attended by Gujarat Minister Naresh Patel, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), Aishvarya Singh, District Collector and District Development Officer, along with senior officials from State and District administration, a statement said.
On Swachh Bharat Diwas on October 2, 2026, Special Gram Sabhas were organised across rural India as a key activity under SHS 2026.
These Gram Sabhas provided a platform for Gram Panchayats and rural communities to review local sanitation and waste management efforts; discuss the outcomes of SHS 2026; review the status of four-way source segregation in line with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026; identify and register bulk waste generators; and undertake discussions on Swachh Seva Aankalan in ODF Plus (Model) Gram Panchayats, the statement said.
The Special Gram Sabha provided an opportunity and platform to undertake gap assessment and integrate relevant actions into Panchayat Development Plans, particularly GPDPs, for coordinated implementation at the grassroots, said the statement.
–IANS
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