Chief Secretary, B B Vyas Tuesday chaired a video conference with DCs to review the preparedness of Districts and concerned Departments for the Nation Wide Sanitation Campaign 'Swachhta Hi Seva' to be launched from 15th September to 2nd October, 2017 in all rural and urban areas in the State.Administrative Secretaries of Planning, Housing & Urban Development, PW(R&B), PHE &I&FC, Culture and Tourism, Special DG (Headquarters) PHQ, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and other senior officers participated in the meeting.As part of the nationwide programme, the activities and other Swachhta events will be run throughout the fortnight and all Central Ministries and States will be participating in the Campaign. Public representatives, employees, police personnel, home guards, school children, social leaders and citizens will be actively engaged in the event. The aim of the campaign is to reinforce the concept of 'Sanitation is everyone's business', re-energize Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and to intensify focus on cleanliness and create an environment of cleanliness across in the spirit of a mass participation.
The activities at the District and State level will include large scale cleaning of Offices, Hospitals, Schools, Aganwardi Centers, Parks, Bus Stops, road sides, prominent water bodies, community toilets and other public places like agricultural mandies and markets.Special focus will be laid on cleaning iconic and tourist places like Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Katra etc and a concerted effort will be made during the fortnight to give a new look to such places which are frequented by large number of people and tourists.Citizens, Panchayats, Municipal Bodies and various organisations and school children will be participating in the sanitation activities during the 18- day campaign that will culminate on Gandhi Jayanti i.e2nd October, 2017.
Chief Secretary urged DCs to convene meeting of all stakeholders on 13th of September, 2017 and draw up a firm action plan highlighting daily calendar of activities starting from 15th of September, which would involve Municipal Bodies, Rural Development Department, Police Department, Education Department, Social Welfare Department and Banks operating in the district, besides local citizenry, elders, women, social workers etc to achieve laid down milestones.“Events and activities should be planned in a manner that will generate enthusiasm, motivation and interest in the sanitation drive”, Chief Secretary told DCs and asked them to arrange quiz and painting competitions, symposiums and debates in schools at the district and Tehsil level on the theme 'Swachhta Hi Seva' and the best performers be awarded on Gandhi Jayanti.Chief Secretary requested the Police Department to actively participate and assist in the Sanitation drive being planned during the campaign both at the State level and the district level.DCs of Kulgam, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Pulwama, Kupwara, Rajouri, Reasi, Jammu and Ramban enunciated the measures being taken to celebrate the fortnight in a befitting manner.In order to make the sanitation drive successful and result oriented, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir will convene a meeting of all DCs of Kashmir, Division on 14th of September, 2017 to firm up the plan of action/events.Chief Secretary also directed the Housing & Urban Development Department to make suitable arrangements for the disposal of the waste/garbage collected during the sanitation drive.