Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said there was a need to prepare a list of cities where a blind eye has been turned towards the cleanliness campaign.
While speaking after inaugurating the All India Mayors' Conference in Varanasi via video conferencing on December 17, he asked Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri to not only give awards to the city excelling in 'swachhata' (cleanliness) but also recognise those making earnest efforts in the field of cleanliness.
As many as 120 mayors from across the country are participating in the conference whose theme is 'New Urban India'. Modi welcomed them as the host in the capacity of being a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi.
He said that there was need to prepare a list of cities which have turned a blind eye towards the 'swachata abhiyan' and towards other civic amenities.
In his address, Modi also suggested hosting a "Nadi Utsav" (river festival) for a week every year involving local citizens. The prime minister also mooted the idea of celebrating the birthday of a city to highlight its glory.
"I believe that all the Mayors present here have left no stones unturned for the bright future and development of their cities. This program in Kashi is very important for the growth of cities in India," PM Modi added.
PM Modi also said, "We should celebrate river festival in our city for 7 days every year. Add the whole city to it. In this festival, the focus should be on the cleanliness of the river, its specialty."
"Tourists from all over the world come to the Ganga Ghat of Kashi. Mata Ganga has a great contribution in running the economy of Kashi. We all have to take a sensitive approach towards the river in our cities," added the Prime Minister.
PM Modi also urged the Mayors to encourage public participation in keeping their cities clean and healthy, and thereby contribute to their development.
"Our city should be clean and healthy too, this should be our effort The development of the city should be done through public participation. People's participation should be emphasized," said PM Modi.
"I am looking at the All India Mayors Conference program being held in Kashi with many possibilities. On one hand the world's oldest city like Banaras and on the other hand the outline of the modern cities of modern India. All mayors would like to contribute to their societies in a major way. I'm certain all of you are working in that direction," the Prime Minister further stated.
The All India Mayors' Conference, themed as 'New Urban India', virtually.
According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Conference was being organised by the Department of Urban Development of Uttar Pradesh in Varanasi. Mayors from various states across the country participated in the conference.
"It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to ensure ease of living in urban areas. The government has launched multiple schemes and initiatives to address the issues of dilapidated urban infrastructure and lack of amenities. A special focus of these efforts has been the state of Uttar Pradesh, which has witnessed tremendous progress and transformation of the urban landscape, especially in the last five years," the PMO said in its release.
An exhibition is also being organized from December 17 to 19 to showcase the key achievements of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in the sphere of urban development. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri were also present on the occasion.
(With agency inputs)
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