New Delhi: The central government has identified 10 iconic places that will undergo cleaning on par in the country including Taj Mahal, Vaishno Devi temple and Ajmer Sharif, as part of a pilot project under the Swachh Bharat mission, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.
Tomar said his ministry is in the process of selecting 100 iconic places for cleaning under the mission and most will be either tourist or religious spots.
“As part of Swachh Bharat Mission to clean and sanitise the entire country, the Ministry has identified 10 such iconic places to start cleanliness drive as part of the pilot project under this mission,” the Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Swachh Bharat campaign was his government's "biggest achievement" and praised the children and youth for being the project's "biggest brand ambassador".
"It was a unique thing for the country when I announced the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on last Independence Day from Red Fort. I congratulate the Team India for the achievement of this abhiyaan," Modi said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.
He said Team India - 125 crore Indians - helped the government in achieving the success of the Clean Indian campaign. He praised the young for leading the campaign.
"I salute to these children," he said.
Referring to how he spoke about toilets and cleanliness in his first Independence Day, he said that many had then wondered "what kind of a PM is he, talking about these issues".
But "if there is something that has touched every person, it is the movement towards cleanliness," he said.
"People from all walks of life, spiritual leaders, media friends, celebrities, everyone has worked to create awareness (about the Clean India campaign)," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
