Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Giriraj Singh distributed Swachhata Awards here today at the end of Swachhata Pakhwada (1st to 15th December 2017). Industrial Clusters, Industry Associations and MSME Offices were felicitated for their contribution to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Secretary(MSME), Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary (DWS) and Shri Akshay Kumar Rout, Director General, Swachh Bharat Mission along with other dignitaries and senior officials from the Ministry were also present.For the first time, Swachhata Pakhwada was organised by the Ministry with grandeur through its field offices and organisations spreading across the country. Awareness campaigns and seminars on new and Innovative technologies on cleanliness were organised. School children were also associated in activities like tree plantation, painting competition, essay and slogan writing competition, etc.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Giriraj Singh said that Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan started by the Prime Minister in 2014 on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is changing the world’s perception about India. The Ministry of MSME and its subordinate Offices are regularly organising cleanliness drives not only in their respective offices but also in the industrial clusters, industrial estates, to translate this great vision of Hon'ble Prime Minister to reality. Awareness is being created amongst MSMEs about the importance of setting up of effluent treatment plants and adopting waste management techniques. This is one such initiative to create a healthy competition amongst industrial clusters and estates and offices for Swachhata.