Sidhu lauds residents for good show
CHANDIGARH:With most big cities of the state showing a marked improvement in cleanliness rankings over last year, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu congratulated the residents for attaining high standards of sanitation.
“I congratulate Punjab residents for achieving remarkable progress in keeping cities clean and attaining high standards of sanitation,” Sidhu said.
“Not only this, 42 cities from Punjab figure in the first 100 in North Zone city ranking comprising 1,008 cities which indicates the changing perception and attitude towards sanitation and cleanliness,” he added.
The minister also congratulated principal secretary, local government, A Venu Prasad; Swachh Bharat Mission director Ajoy Sharma and the Swachhta team of the state.
“Priority will be given to solid waste management by adopting best practices from other progressive states,” Prasad said.
Of the four Zonal award categories, two cities — Bhadson and Moonak — have bagged the cleanest city and the best city in the ‘Citizen Feedback Award’, respectively in the North Zone in Swachh Survekshan 2018 results. The awards were conferred at a seminar in Indore.
In another achievement, only one city figures in the bottom 100 of 485 bigger cities that participated in the survey.
PANCHAYAT DEPT BAGS SIX SKOCH AWARDS
Rural development and panchayat department has bagged six silver SKOCH awards for taking new initiatives in the use of information technology to implement the development and welfare schemes.
Rural development and panchayat minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said, “The department has adopted zero tolerance policy against corruption and information technology has played a significant role.”
Nodal officer of the department Rosy Vaid said, “The awards were given for e-court, shamlat portal and effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana.”
She added that Mansa district had received two awards for maintaining a Natural Park at Khokhar Kalan and implementing schemes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
‘STATE IS FREE OF OPEN DEFECATION’
Punjab water supply and sanitation minister Razia Sultana on Sunday announced that the state had become free of open defecation, referred to as Open Defecation Free (ODF).