Smriti Irani, LoP Suvendu Adhikari engage in 'Swachhata hi Seva' drive in Bengal

Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday flew down to northern West Bengal and participated in cleanliness drive 'Swachhata Hi Seva' drive a day before Gandhi Jayanti. On the other hand, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, also participated in the drive in Howrah city.

Irani flew down to Bagdogra airport on the outskirts of Siliguri city. She was welcomed by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and party workers.

From there, she went to a tea garden in Naxalbari, where she cleaned the surroundings by picking up garbage from the ground and also interacted with tea garden workers.

The Union Women and Child Welfare Minister was later joined by BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar at Tenzing Norgay Bus Stand in Siliguri, where Irani and BJP leaders wielded brooms and cleaned the roads.

The Union minister later had tea at a stall and interacted with locals. Later, she flew from Bagdogra in the afternoon.

'Resolve to build nation through public participation! On the call of PM @narendramodi ji, did Shramdaan under the #SwacchtaHiSeva campaign with the local people in Siliguri. Today every countryman is dedicated to realising the dream of 'Swaccha evam Swasthya Bharat' (Clean and healthy India) dream of Pujya Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi),' she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, LoP Suvendu Adhikari participated in the drive in Howrah city.

Wielding the broom, he cleaned roads in an area adjacent to Dumurjala stadium in Howrah city and sprinkled bleaching powder.

The senior BJP leader said the drive is an opportunity to spread awareness on the need for cleanliness and vector control.

'There is an absolute lack of cleanliness in West Bengal. Spending on vector control is grossly inadequate. The TMC government has institutionalised corruption in the state,' he said.

More than 30 people have died in various districts of West Bengal this year due to dengue.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reviewed the dengue situation and asked officials to step up vigil to prevent any more deaths due to the vector-borne disease.