To motivate all stakeholders in the rural areas to participate in the cleanliness drive of their villages, Punjab on Friday launched ‘My Village My Pride’ campaign in the state.

Launching the campaign under the aegis of Mission Swachh and Tandrust Punjab from 1 August to 31 August, the Water Supply and Sanitation minister Razia Sultana said Punjab has always been on the forefront in every sphere of life and on all parameters of human development.

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“We will surely achieve distinction in the Swachhta Survekshan being conducted by GOI throughout the country, on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation parameters” she said while formally launching the ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2018’.

The minister said special prizes amounting to Rs 1.88 Crore were announced for cleanest village, school, anganwari and health center in each district. Prizes were also announced for the best Swachhta champions in all districts.

Selection of Prize winners will be done by an independent committee headed by the deputy commissioners of the districts and prizes will be conferred on 2 October.

The minister as a part of the campaign launched a Swachh Mobile application which citizens can download and give feedback on Open Defecation, demand a toilet if eligible and register activities related to cleanliness drives in their village with photographs.

She stated that it is only the State of Punjab which is encouraging citizens to give direct feedback on sanitation, so that the State goal of making Punjab a Swachh (clean) and Tandrust (healthy) state can be achieved with people’s participation.

The Union ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has commissioned ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018’ through an independent survey agency to develop ranking of all districts and states across India on the basis of quantitative and qualitative Sanitation parameters.

This ranking will be based on a comprehensive set of parameters including district-level surveys of public places like schools and anganwaris.

Sultana said that we have already done commendable work for the behaviourable change of rural population as far as sanitation is considered. She said that all the Panchayats in the state of Punjab have self-declared their villages ‘Open Defecation Free’.

She appealed to the citizen of the state to actively take part in this pious mission of Swachhta and keep their villages neat and clean.