Swachhta Pakhwada being observed by the Ministry of Textiles throughout the country

On May 1, 2017

The Ministry of Textiles is observing Swachhta Pakhwada from May 1 – 15, 2017. The fortnight-long observance of programmes to spread the message of cleanliness and make it a part of our lives, was inaugurated by the Minister of State, Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta, in Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi, today.

The Minister administered the Swachhta Pledge to the officers and staff of the Ministry. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the mission of Swachh Bharat will become a reality if every one of India’s 125 crore citizens makes up one’s mind to neither litter nor let others litter. Having watched the Swachh Bharat song, the Minister said that playing the song to children in the morning would instill in them the importance and divinity of cleanliness. Shri Tamta said that Swachhta should be looked upon as everyone’s responsibility, not just that of the workers involved in cleaning.

Textiles Secretary, Smt. Rashmi Verma told everyone to not let Swachhta Pakhwada be an act of tokenism, but a programme that is done from the heart. She exhorted all officials and staff of the Ministry, to take some initiatives in their sphere of work, home and community, to bring about some perceptible and tangible change in cleanliness. Smt. Verma reminded everyone that there are small steps everyone can do in order to spread the message of Swachhta and to make India Swachh Bharat, a clean nation. She said that everyone’s participation is required in order to realize the goal of Swachh Bharat.

The list of activities that would be undertaken by the Ministry of Textiles during the Swachhta Pakhwada includes the following:

Visit of Minister of State, Textiles to Powerloom Service Centres in Delhi/Haryana/Uttarakhand
Visit of Minister of State, Textiles to Silk Cluster in Haridwar for a special Swachhta drive
Seminar on the theme “Waste to Wealth” to be organized
Films on “Waste to Wealth” to be made by NIFT, and to be shown by all organizations
NIFT students to be promoted as volunteers to lead youth teams for Swachhta activities in all Weavers’ Service Centres
Awareness and motivation programmes to be conducted for employees
Debate competition on Swachhta Abhiyan to be held, for employees at various levels
Honouring prize winners in the competitions, by senior officers of the Ministry
Personal hygiene campaign to be conducted at all jute mills, co-opting CGHS doctors, on all days of the Pakhwada
Special drive on Swachhta to be done in a NTC Mill Chawl area, and in a jute mill in Kolkata (cleaning of workers’ colonies to be undertaken)
Undertaking cleaning of Office premises, toilets & wash rooms
Provision for supply of clean drinking water through water dispensers, to all sections
Providing dustbins in all sections
Dusting and cleaning of office equipment
Cleaning of common passages and open areas in Udyog Bhavan
Co-ordination with CPWD and DIPP to ensure that renovation work such as replacement of tiles, false ceiling works, installation of LED lights are completed timely
Weeding out of old files/Records/un-serviceable articles

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Swachhta Pakhwada being observed by the Ministry of Textiles throughout the country