Agartala, Sept 17: Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha on Wednesday inaugurated the Statewide Swachhata Hi Seva 2025 campaign at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan, calling upon every citizen to take responsibility in building a clean and beautiful environment.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that Swachhata Abhiyan is not just a programme but a people’s movement. “The growing awareness of cleanliness among citizens has been made possible through this movement. If our homes, surroundings, and public places remain clean, it has a positive impact on the human mind and helps nurture a transparent mindset,” he said, urging people to join hands to make the mission successful.
Dr. Saha stressed that the government alone cannot maintain a clean society and environment without active public participation. “Every citizen must be responsible in ensuring cleanliness. With people’s cooperation, the state government wishes to gift future generations clean, green, and healthy villages, towns, the state, and the nation,” he added.
Highlighting the initiatives taken under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Chief Minister pointed out that door-to-door waste collection has been launched in all 334 urban wards of the state, 85 waste segregation units have been established, 63 community toilets and 1,277 public toilets have been built in 20 urban areas, over 22,000 families have been provided with hygienic toilets.
In rural areas, 765 villages have achieved ODF-Plus status, with 5,01,232 household toilets and 590 community toilets constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission, he said, adding that to combat plastic pollution, five plastic waste management units are operational, with 13 more in the pipeline.
The Chief Minister lauded the role of sanitation workers, describing them as the true “craftsmen of cleanliness” and urged society to show them due respect. He also emphasized the need for more awareness programmes in schools and colleges to instill values of cleanliness among the younger generation.
On this occasion, sanitation workers from Agartala Municipal Corporation and other subdivisions were felicitated by the Chief Minister for their outstanding contributions. Among those present were AMC Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, Secretary of Urban Development Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary of Rural Development Kuntal Das, West Tripura District Magistrate Dr. Vishal Kumar, Director of Urban Development Megha Jain, Swachh Bharat Mission ambassador and Padma Shri awardee Dipa Karmakar, and others. The welcome address was delivered by PWD Secretary Brijesh Pandey.
The programme concluded with all participants taking a pledge on cleanliness.
