PM Modi to launch Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign today

The countrywide Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign will be launched today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the fortnight long movement from New Delhi through video conferencing.

The objective of the campaign, which will continue till Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October, is to mobilise people and reinforce the public movement for sanitation to contribute to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi's dream of a Clean India.

Mr Modi will also interact with a cross-section of people from 18 locations across the country. These include school-children, jawans, spiritual leaders, members of milk and agricultural cooperatives, media persons, local government representatives, railway employees, Self Help Groups and Swachhagrahis.

Earlier, in a video message on Twitter, Mr Modi had described the movement as a great way to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Modi had exhorted people to be a part of the movement and strengthen the efforts to create a Swachh Bharat.

The campaign will accelerate the momentum of Swachh Bharat



and will culminate with Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention to be held in New Delhi from the 29th of this month till the 2nd of next month.

During the period, a series of activities including Swachhata Sabhas, Seva Diwas, Railways Swachhata Divas, Antyodaya Divas will take place across the country.

Mass Swachhata rally will also be organised by school children. Swachhata Gram Sabhas and Sharamdaan will be held in all two lakh 50,000-gram panchayats and each gram panchayat will organise at least one Swachhata Nukkad Natak.

Besides, a massive sanitation drive will be organised at all industrial estates. Over 10 lakh registered doctors will hold local swacchhta clinic and nine lakh Asha workers will hold cleanliness drive at primary health centres.

The rural sanitation coverage in the country has reached over 92 per cent from 39 per cent in October 2014, when Swachh Bharat Mission was launched. Nineteen States and Union Territories have been declared Open Defecation Free, so far.