Citing overwhelming public response and resolution of over 83 per cent of civic grievances, Punjab Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday announced the extension of the state-wide ‘Cleanliness Campaign 2.0’ till September 12. The Local Government Minister also announced four mega Saturday cleanliness drives to institutionalise citizen participation across all 166 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the state.
The special cleanliness drive was launched on August 29 and covers all 166 ULBs, including 14 Municipal Corporations and 152 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats.
Addressing a press conference at MC Bhawan on Tuesday, Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the campaign had so far received 6,459 complaints from citizens through the M-Seva app, of which 5,407, or over 83%, had been resolved on the ground. “Following a massive surge in citizen participation and an influx of complaints through the M-Seva app on the last day, the Bhagwant Mann Government decided to extend the campaign till September 12,” he added.
Public Participation and Cleanliness Campaign
The Local Government Minister stated, “Punjab is the sacred land of Gurus, saints and martyrs, and keeping it clean is our collective duty. This campaign has proven that without active public participation, sustainable cleanliness is impossible. We are not merely disposing of garbage, we are reshaping the future of urban Punjab.”
He said the government would now focus on institutionalising citizen participation beyond the ongoing campaign. He added, To this end, four mega cleanliness drives will be organised over the next four Saturdays, beginning September 12, in collaboration with NGOs, market associations, youth clubs, religious organisations and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs). “We appeal to every citizen to spare just two to three hours on Saturday morning and join us in cleaning our parks, markets and neighbourhoods,” said the Minister.
Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the Local Government Department had rolled out a comprehensive door-to-door garbage collection system across all cities to prevent the recurrence of Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs). He urged citizens to retain waste at home until the collection vehicle arrives and warned that littering in public places would invite strict fines after the awareness phase.
“I have personally visited towns like Kurali, Kharar and Nangal over the last 10 days, spending two to three hours daily on the ground, and have seen how tirelessly our Safai Sewaks are working. But even the best efforts will fail without citizen cooperation. We must understand that we cannot build cities as clean as those in Japan without civic sense,” he stressed.
Minister Harjot Singh Bains thanked MLAs, Deputy Commissioners, Municipal Commissioners, councillors and sanitation staff for their relentless efforts during the campaign. He said that a detailed data analysis, along with photographic evidence of permanently eradicated GVPs, would be presented after the campaign concludes. “This is just the beginning. With the blessings of our elders and the energy of our youth, Punjab will set a new benchmark in urban sanitation,” he added.
