<p>The NDA government will launch a Clean India campaign on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, with all Central government employees taking a cleanliness pledge on that day. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Though a national holiday to mark Gandhi Jayanti, Central government staff have been told to be present in their offices in the morning and the heads of departments will administer ‘Swachhata Shapath’ (cleanliness pledge). <br /><br />As on Independence Day, after the programme, the employees may go home, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday. He said the Centre had requested the state governments to join the drive. <br /><br />Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘Clean India’ campaign, a mass movement aimed at cleaning the country, on October 2. Ahead of it, a week-long drive began on Thursday to get rid of clutter, garbage and weed out unwanted things from government offices, railway stations and public places.<br /><br />Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani launched the drive in schools and asked all educational institutions to promote cleanliness, while the Railway Ministry deputed around 250 top officials to monitor the cleanliness of stations, trains, tracks, offices, workshops and railway colonies. <br /><br />Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda said directions have been issued to Zonal Railways, public sector undertakings and production units to ensure their staff (except crew and other essential category staff) participate in the programme.The Centre will spend nearly Rs 2 lakh crore over five years on its ambitious plan to clean India by October 2019, coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, said Naidu. <br /><br />Speaking after unveiling the logo for the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ (Clean India Mission), which includes providing drinking water and sanitation, Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Urban Development Ministry will allocate Rs 62,000 crore for cleaning towns across the country, while the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will spend Rs 1.34 lakh crore on the programme to be launched by Modi on Oct 2.<br /><br />The logo, released by Naidu and Gadkari, depicts the spectacles of Mahatma Gandhi with the bridge of the spectacles featuring the national tricolour.</p>
<p>The NDA government will launch a Clean India campaign on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, with all Central government employees taking a cleanliness pledge on that day. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Though a national holiday to mark Gandhi Jayanti, Central government staff have been told to be present in their offices in the morning and the heads of departments will administer ‘Swachhata Shapath’ (cleanliness pledge). <br /><br />As on Independence Day, after the programme, the employees may go home, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday. He said the Centre had requested the state governments to join the drive. <br /><br />Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘Clean India’ campaign, a mass movement aimed at cleaning the country, on October 2. Ahead of it, a week-long drive began on Thursday to get rid of clutter, garbage and weed out unwanted things from government offices, railway stations and public places.<br /><br />Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani launched the drive in schools and asked all educational institutions to promote cleanliness, while the Railway Ministry deputed around 250 top officials to monitor the cleanliness of stations, trains, tracks, offices, workshops and railway colonies. <br /><br />Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda said directions have been issued to Zonal Railways, public sector undertakings and production units to ensure their staff (except crew and other essential category staff) participate in the programme.The Centre will spend nearly Rs 2 lakh crore over five years on its ambitious plan to clean India by October 2019, coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, said Naidu. <br /><br />Speaking after unveiling the logo for the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ (Clean India Mission), which includes providing drinking water and sanitation, Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Urban Development Ministry will allocate Rs 62,000 crore for cleaning towns across the country, while the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will spend Rs 1.34 lakh crore on the programme to be launched by Modi on Oct 2.<br /><br />The logo, released by Naidu and Gadkari, depicts the spectacles of Mahatma Gandhi with the bridge of the spectacles featuring the national tricolour.</p>
