Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel presented the “Nirmal Gujarat Awards” to eight municipal corporations and sixteen municipalities in the state. Conferring the awards, the CM clearly stated that fostering healthy competition among cities to win awards for initiatives in cleanliness and other public welfare projects is part of the state’s vision for better development.

The award distribution ceremony and a brainstorming session on the Swachh Bharat Mission were held at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The Chief Minister presented the “Nirmal Gujarat Awards” along with a total incentive amount of ₹18.5 crore for exceptional performance in cleanliness. Additionally, he unveiled the logo for the “Maru Sheher, Maru Gaurav Abhiyan” campaign.

Addressing the award-winning municipalities, CM Patel congratulated them and stated that such awards motivate other cities to perform better. He highlighted that since the nationwide cleanliness campaign was launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleanliness has become ingrained in citizens’ habits and culture. He emphasized that the state government is always ready to provide full support, including financial aid, to municipalities under various development-focused initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Nirmal Gujarat Mission.

Speaking to elected municipal representatives, the Chief Minister said that high-quality development projects now need to be implemented collaboratively. He emphasized that Gujarat’s development strategy aims not only at cities but at improving the lives of even the smallest communities, integrating them into the mainstream.

CM Patel further highlighted that the nationwide “Har Ghar Swadeshi” campaign, which began on September 25 to mark the birth anniversary of visionary leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and will continue until December 25 to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, aims to promote self-reliance. He urged citizens to prioritize the use of indigenous products in daily household consumption to ensure the success of this campaign.

He emphasized that under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, products manufactured in India qualify as indigenous. Self-reliance is essential across all sectors, and a focus on indigenous products and self-reliance will help build a developed Gujarat contributing to a developed India.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that 2035 will mark the 75th anniversary of Gujarat’s formation, celebrated as the Amrit Mahotsav, for which a roadmap for a developed Gujarat is being prepared.

CM Patel highlighted Gujarat’s strong financial discipline, noting that according to NITI Aayog, the state ranks first in the country in various development indicators. This year, as part of the Urban Development Year, significant funds are being allocated to ensure citizens have access to better infrastructure and facilities. He requested attendees to implement the best practices discussed in the day-long brainstorming session across their jurisdictions to provide optimal services to residents.

At the event, Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi noted that Gujarat’s cities are performing exceptionally in cleanliness. Under CM Patel’s guidance, various support initiatives have been provided to municipalities, resulting in 26 cities receiving “Garbage-Free City” certification in the recent survey.

In the “Cleanliness Survey 2024-25,” conducted under the theme “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” Gujarat’s cities scored over 8,100 marks out of 12,500 on average, securing third place nationally, an improvement from last year’s eighth position. Joshi congratulated Ahmedabad, Surat, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara for topping various categories in the survey and urged all to strive for even better performance in upcoming evaluations to further advance Gujarat’s leadership in cleanliness. DeshGujarat