The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan administered the Swachhta pledge to all the officials and employees of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in New Delhi todaymarking the celebrationofSwachhta Pakhwada scheduled from 16th to 28th February 2019. Shri Paswan also swept the area outside Krishi Bhawan along with Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Shri Avinash K Srivastavaand Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ravikant.The Union Minister appealed to all the officials and employees of the Ministry to wholeheartedly join the countrywide cleanliness drive and make it a success. Shri Paswan also appealed to officials of his ministry to join the campaign and keep their homes, offices, neighbourhoods, towns and cities clean. TheSwachhta Pakhwada and pledge aims at fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of an India which is not only free but also clean and developed. Shri Paswan exhorted that it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean and that everyone must devote 100 hours per year that is two hours per week for voluntary work for spreading cleanliness.The Pakhwada is being organized to create awareness amongst officials as well as the general public on the importance of the need for sustained maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene. It is in support of the larger effort of the Government of India and the States to bring about behavioural change in the public towards eradication of unhygienic practices related to personal and environmental hygiene.During the Pakhwada, the Ministry and its associated Departments and offices shall be taking up various activities to promote Swachchta such as improvement in the overall sanitary conditions of the office spaces and public spaces around it, provision of appropriate toilets, drinking water supply, etc. in the work spaces, awareness generation on quality of food grains etc.The Union Minister also condemned the attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama, Kashmir. Shri Paswan asserted that the sacrifices of our brave soldiers will not go in vain and expressed solidarity with the families of the brave martyrs. A two minute silence was also observed for the martyrs.