Mobile App for clean India

The Ministry of Tourism has developed a ‘Swachh Parayatan’ mobile App for citizens to flag issues relating to cleanliness in and around tourist sites. Initially, 25 ‘Adarsh Smarak’ monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been iden

The ‘ Swachh Parayatan Mobile App’ was recently launched by Dr.

Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, at a function in New Delhi. This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India through DeGS and NIC. Launching the App, Sharma said, “We have started with 25 most visited monuments, as a model and slowly this will be extended to all tourist spots. It is a means to open a channel of communication with the tourists. If garbage is found at the spot we will try to address the issue within one to two hours. Nodal officers have been appointed and if they do not attend to their responsibilities, they would be held accountable for the same. The suggestions that come through the App need not only be about cleanliness, they may relate to other issues as well. Other such suggestions that come in will also be recorded to further improve that particular spot.”

This mobile App is available on Google Search Engine as ‘ Swachh Paryatan’ and android phones and very soon it will be available on Apple and Microsoft devices too. This mobile App shall be monitored by the Project Monitoring Unit of Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Tourism.

On other initiatives taken by MOT to promote tourism, Sharma said, “We have been handing across the Swagat booklet at the immigration counters, to foreign tourists. The Tourist Infoline ‘ 1363,’ which was recently started, is daily getting approximately 1,800 calls.” The eTV facility that is now extended to 150 countries has been availed of by 448,000 people till now. We are also thinking in terms of handing over certain infrastructural facilities at tourist spots into private hands. The monuments will not be privatised, while the security part of the monuments will be with the Government, all other internal facilities, such as cleanliness, greenery maintenance, bookshop and restaurant maintenance, we propose to give them to the different reputed private operators. We will soon start this for five to six monuments and slowly extend it to all.”

“We are also contemplating to have a separate queue at tourist spots, for tourists with high-price value tickets. These tourists will get an easier entry to visit tourist spots, not having to stand in long queues and will mostly be availed by foreign tourists, who have a paucity of time,” he added.

The security part of monuments will be with the government, while we propose all other internal facilities, such as cleanliness, greenery maintenance, bookshop and restaurant maintenance be given to different reputed private operators. We will soon start this for five to six monuments and slowly extend it to all.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture

and Minister of State for Civil Aviation