Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur flagged off the ‘Swachhata Rally’ organised by Divya Himachal Daily newspaper here today.Speaking of the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself initiated the cleanliness drive by picking up the broom to clean the dirt for making Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a mass movement across the nation. He said that one should resolve that neither they should litter, nor let others litter. He said cleanliness was important for all of us and it becomes duty of every one of us that we keep our surroundings and environment clean.The Chief Minister said that although the State has banned use of polythene way back, but now the Government has banned use of thermocol cutlery in the State.
He said that the Government has also banned use of small plastic water bottle in public functions as it was also a major environmental hazard. He said that this was a major step in environment conservation. He said that it was due to the collective efforts of the people of the State that Himachal Pradesh has been declared as open defecation free (ODS) after Sikkim.He also administered oath of Cleanliness on the occasion.Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Additional Chief Secretary Home B.K. Aggrawal, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Amit Kashyap, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Shimla Pankaj Rai, Director Information and Public Relations Anupam Kashyap, Principal IGMC Ravi C. Sharma were present on the occasion among others.