Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said cleanliness only will make India healthy and developed and appealed to the people to come forward and take a step to make country country “swachh, swasth aur viksit” (clean, healthy and developed).
Addressing the Safai Mitra Sammelan near Shani Mandir in Ujjain, Murmu also praised Madhya Pradesh's Indore city for remaining on top in the cleanliness survey for the seventh time in a row and Bhopal for being the cleanest state capital in the country. "It gives me immense happiness to honour safai mitras (sanitation workers). Cleanliness only will make the country healthy and developed.
By honouring safai mitras we are hounouring ourselves," she said. The president hoped that people across the villages and lanes in the country will come forward to work under the Swachh Bharat Mission and added that by doing so only the nation will be able to implement Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of 'swachhata' (cleanliness).
The Swachh mission has become a nationwide movement in the last 10 years and has led to changes on a wider scale in the country, she said. "Because of Swachh Bharat Mission, the level of awareness towards swachhata has increased and people's behaviour towards cleanliness has changed a lot.
This gives me immense pleasure," she said. Murmu also recalled that she had started her public life with swachhata in her hometown in Odisha where she had worked as the vice chairperson of the Notified Area Council. Under the Swachh mission, more than 11 crore toilets were constructed to deal with the problem of open defecation and over 2.25 lakh community cleanliness complexes were constructed. It played a major role in ensuring women's pride, their health and safety, she said. The president also expressed her gratitude towards the government for making a provision of separate toilets for girl students which has resulted in raising their literacy level.
According to a survey, because of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the child mortality rate in the country has decreased and the annual health cost of rural families has reduced by an average of Rs 50,000, she said. The president also lauded the role of sanitation workers and termed them frontline fighters as they played a major role in keeping the city clean and protecting citizens from various diseases associated with filth.
The president also said that the Swachh campaign has raised awareness of cleanliness among the people and their behaviour towards swachhata has changed a lot.
Describing Avantika as sacred, divine and holy city of Baba Mahakal, she said that Gupta period was the golden age of Indian history. “2000 years ago Ujjain was an excellent centre of transportation, and international trade. Great poet Kalidas has described vastness and grandeur of Ujjaini in Meghdoot.
The importance of Alkapuri city in Devlok is akin to Ujjain on earth. I bow to Baba Mahakal, Avantika city and holy Kshipra,” she said. President Murmu said that efforts were underway to develop Ujjain and the state and cited laying foundation stone of Ujjain-Indore six lane road to be built at Rs 1,692 crore in Ujjain and upcoming Vikram Udyogpuri Medical Devices Park.
On the occasion, Murmu felicitated five safai mitras. Those honoured were Anita Chavre, Kiran Khode, Shobha Ghavri, Rashmi Tankle and Gopal Khare. Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also addressed the programme. Those present on the dais included Deputy CM Jagdish Devda, urban administration and development minister Kailash Vijayvergiya, PWD minister Rakesh Singh, WRD minister Tulsi Silawat, district minister in-charge Gautam Tetwal and minister of state for urban administration and development Pratima Bagri.
