New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the ‘Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra’, an interactive experience centre based on the Swachh Bharat Mission, in New Delhi.
PM Modi said that the Swacch Bharat Mission or the cleanliness drive has been a big support in the fight against coronavirus.
A tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra (RSK) was first announced by the Prime Minister on April 10, 2017 on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Gandhiji’s Champaran ‘satyagraha’.
After taking a tour of the Swachhata Kendra, located near Raj Ghat, the PM interacted with 36 school students, representing the 36 states and union territories, at the amphitheatre.
“We all are a part of a campaign now, ‘Gandagi, Bharat Chorho’. I am glad that all of us, including the children present here, are following social distancing norms and wearing masks, to control the spread of Covid-19,” he told the students.
Speaking about Mahatma Gandhi, the PM said that the whole world was now coming forward to adopt his values.
“The whole world is coming forward to adopt the values and principals of Mahatma Gandhi. When Gandhi ji’s 150th birth anniversary was celebrated last year, that was unprecedented. Singers of different countries learnt and sung his favourite song ‘Vaishnav Jan To’,” he said.
It was highlighted during the inauguration that before Swachh Bharat Mission, only 49 per cent Indians had access to toilets and a majority of people were practising open defecation.
It was also announced that in 2019, India was declared open defecation free after more than 55 crore Indians received toilet facilities.
The Prime Minister announced a week-long campaign from August 8 to 15 to free India of garbage.
-CHK
