Baghel on cleanest state award: 'Gujarat model failed, Chhattisgarh model will work'

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday received the Swachhta Award after the state was adjudged the ‘cleanest state in India’. This is the third consecutive year that Chhattisgarh bags the title. CM Baghel received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Swachch Amrit Mahotsav in the national capital.

The state of Chhattisgarh was awarded the cleanest state of India for the third time in a row this year. The President presented the award to CM Bhupesh Baghel at the Swachh Amrit Mahotsav to mark 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' being celebrated on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Independence. Following the award, CM Baghel congratulated the people of the state for the achievement.

“I congratulate the people of Chhattisgarh for their enthusiasm towards cleanliness. Every public representative, official and minister has worked towards this,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking on the achievement, the Congress leader also slammed the state of Gujarat and said that the ‘Gujrat model’ will now be replaced by the Chhattisgarh model. “Today is a big day for Chhattisgarh as the state got the cleanest state award from the President for 3rd consecutive time. The state has received around 67 awards in various categories... The Gujarat model has failed. Now Chhattisgarh model will work,” CM Bhupesh Baghel told media.

Earlier in the day, Baghel had also shared pictures from the event where he received the award for the state. Sharing the images, Baghel quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said that cleanliness must become a habit. "Bapu used to say, 'Adopt cleanliness in your conduct in such a way that it becomes your habit.' This habit of the people of Chhattisgarh makes us the cleanest state for the third time in a row," he tweeted. 

‘Swachh Survekshan 2021’

Madhya Pradesh's Indore bagged the title of the cleanest city in India for the fifth time in a row while Chhattisgarh became the cleanest state of India for the third time in a row. Indore was crowned with the 'Swachhata Ka Taaj' by President Ram Nath Kovind at the ‘Swachh Amrit Mahotsav’ function organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. Indore was followed by Surat in Gujarat and Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. President Kovind addressed Swachh Survekshan Awards 2021 and called for Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Cantt was rewarded as the cleanest cantonment in India, Varanasi, the cleanest Ganga Town in India.

Swachh Survekshan Survey

According to the Ministry of Housing and Urbain Affairs, "Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India. It was launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aimed to make India clean and free of open defecation by 2nd October 2019. The first survey was undertaken in 2016 and covered 73 cities; by 2020 the survey had grown to cover 4242 cities and was said to be the largest cleanliness survey in the world.

Image: Twitter/ @bhupeshbaghel