(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel handed out the Nirmal Gujarat Awards to eight municipal corporations and 16 municipalities on Thursday, praising their top-notch efforts in keeping cities clean. Speaking at the ceremony in Gandhinagar, he said healthy competition among cities drives better development and public welfare, especially in cleanliness drives.
The event doubled as a Swachh Bharat Mission brainstorming session at Mahatma Mandir. Patel presented the awards alongside Rs 18.5 crore in incentive funds for standout cleanliness work. He also launched the logo for the Maru Sheher, Maru Gaurav Abhiyan, which means “My City, My Pride” – a push to boost urban pride and upkeep.
Patel congratulated the winners, noting how these honors inspire other towns to step up their game. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership since independence for turning the national Swachh Bharat Mission into a daily habit for millions of Indians. “Cleanliness is now a core value,” he added.
The state government stands ready to back local bodies with full financial support for initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Nirmal Gujarat Mission, Patel assured. He called on elected officials to team up for high-quality projects that lift everyone, from big cities to remote villages. “We need to bring the smallest communities into the mainstream,” he said, highlighting how Modi’s cleanliness campaigns have sparked true mass movements.
Patel announced a new nationwide Har Ghar Swadeshi drive, kicking off on September 25 – Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s birth anniversary – and running until December 25, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s centenary. This campaign promotes Aatmanirbhar Bharat by encouraging families to use local, indigenous products in daily life. “Adopt as many Swadeshi items as you can to build a Viksit Bharat,” he urged.
Tying it to Make in India, Patel explained that homegrown products count as true Swadeshi. He stressed self-reliance in every sector to create a developed Gujarat as the base for a developed India. Looking ahead, the state is mapping a roadmap for Viksit Gujarat to celebrate its 75th formation anniversary in 2035 as Amrit Mahotsav.
Gujarat boasts a solid financial foundation and steady growth, leading the nation according to NITI Aayog. This Urban Development Year, the state is pouring funds into better public facilities and infrastructure. Patel encouraged attendees at the one-day Chintan Shibir to apply the session’s best ideas back home for top-tier services.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi echoed the praise, saying Gujarat’s cities set a national benchmark for cleanliness, inspired by Modi – now PM – during his time as chief minister. Under Patel’s guidance, support measures have helped 26 cities earn Garbage Free City status. In the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 survey themed “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” Gujarat jumped to third place nationwide with scores over 8,100 out of 12,500, up from eighth last year. Joshi congratulated Ahmedabad, Surat, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara for their category wins and pushed for even stronger results next time.
Principal Secretary M. Thennarasan of the Urban Development Department linked it all to Mahatma Gandhi’s view of cleanliness as devotion. He noted PM Modi’s 2014 launch of Swachh Bharat Mission and how Gujarat leads under Patel with tangible results. Swachh Bharat Mission Director M. Nagaraj wrapped up with thanks.
The gathering included Gandhinagar Mayor Miraben Patel, Municipalities Administration Commissioner Remya Mohan, and officials from across Gujarat’s urban bodies.
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