Our goal is to build a clean and hygienic India, and public service is a form of service to the nation, said Tripura’s SC Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das on Thursday.

Das was speaking after inaugurating the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan at the Mukut Auditorium premises in Santirbazar. On the occasion, he also launched the district-level Swachhata Hi Seva programme in South Tripura by watering saplings.

Recalling the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014, the minister said the initiative was aimed at fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a clean India. He said several programmes, including the Swachh Bharat campaign, have subsequently been undertaken with the objective of creating a cleaner nation.

Das said that under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, toilets have been constructed for nearly 12 crore households, particularly benefiting women across the country. He also highlighted initiatives undertaken for solid waste management.

The minister urged people to actively participate in cleanliness-related activities alongside their professional responsibilities, stressing that maintaining cleanliness is a collective responsibility.

South Tripura Zilla Sabhadhipati Dipak Dutta, MLAs- Pramod Reang, Mailayu Mog and Swapna Majumdar, Santirbazar Municipal Council chairperson Swapna Baidya, South Tripura District Magistrate Md Sajjad P, Santirbazar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dipika Gautam and social worker Dwipayan Chowdhury were among those present at the programme.

As part of the cleanliness drive, Das joined sanitation workers in the Swachhata campaign and presented special gifts to sanitation workers of the Santirbazar Municipal Council.

In connection with the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, the minister also distributed fruits and sweets among patients at Santirbazar District Hospital.