Ministry of Culture and Tourism Launch Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan from the Historic Red Fort, Delhi

Courtesy: Photo Division

The Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Shripad Naik here today (25.09.2014) launched the cleanliness drive under the Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan from the Historic Red Fort in the presence of senior officials of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India. An MoU was also signed on the occasion between ASI, ONGC and Ministry of Tourism. 

Speaking on the occasion the Minister said, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken up Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan as a mission to ensure proper hygiene and cleanliness in the country with the active participation and cooperation of citizens of India. Shri Naik said, Prime Minister has urged the countrymen to voluntarily spare 100 hours in a year, or two hours in a week, to clean up their dwelling, surroundings, locality (mohalla), city, town or village and maintain cleanliness. Shri Naik said, it is his privilege to be a part of this ambitious project. 

He said, the Government has taken up this Abhiyan as a movement to solve the sanitation problems, ensure waste management and make India a clean country, with total hygiene. This mission for creating a Clean India is set to be launched on October 2, 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with the target of completing the mission in 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation. It aims to provide every rural family with a toilet by 2019. 

Shri Naik said, the Archaeological Survey of India has prepared the plan to keep all its monuments and sites in a neat and tidy manner and also to provide clean toilets. He said, Ministry of Tourism has come forward to assist in constructing new toilets in the ASI protected monuments and improve the existing ones. The Minister said, it is heartening to see that the corporate sector is taking active part in this programme as part of corporate social responsibility. 

He said, the MoU signed today by ONGC with the ASI and the Ministry of Tourism for improving the visitor facilities at select monuments will go a long way in achieving the desired results. He said, to start with, the ONGC’s initiative will begin with Taj Mahal, Agra and will be gradually extended to more such monuments in a phased manner. 

As per the MoU signed today, through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy, ONGC would support for comprehensive Conservation activities and up gradation of visitors’ amenities at Tajmahal, Agra under the project “ONGC’s Amulya Dharohar Abhiyan-The Taj”. ONGC has agreed to contribute a maximum of Rs. 20.75 crore under CSR for the project. 

Courtesy: pib.nic.in