Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday emphasised that cleanliness is not merely a campaign but a shared civic responsibility, while addressing a felicitation ceremony in village Bagia, located in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district. During the event, the Chief Minister honoured Swachhata Didis—women sanitation workers—with sarees, commendation certificates, and mementoes, recognising their efforts in making the region cleaner and healthier.
Recalling earlier visits to villages where roadside litter marred the natural beauty of the area, CM Sai highlighted the transformation achieved since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014. “PM Modi picked up the broom himself and awakened the nation—from village lanes to urban streets—to the importance of cleanliness, empowering citizens to live with dignity,” he said.
Jashpur Achieves National Recognition in Swachh Survekshan 2024
Praising the Swachhata Didis, CM Sai noted that their dedication has brought national acclaim to Jashpur in terms of cleanliness. “Their dedication and commitment have earned Jashpur national recognition in cleanliness. They truly deserve our highest respect for providing us a clean and healthy environment,” he stated, while urging citizens to treat cleanliness of homes and public areas as a daily duty.
CM Sai pointed out that under the Swachh Survekshan 2024, conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under SBM–Urban, Jashpur’s urban local bodies made remarkable progress. Jashpurnagar secured the 10th rank nationally in the 20,000–50,000 population category—up from the 505th position in 2023.
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Other rankings include Kunkuri at 13th, Pathalgaon at 30th, Bagicha at 51st, and Kotba at 64th in the same category.
Under CM Sai’s leadership, urban bodies have undertaken numerous initiatives, such as BT road construction, road markings, upgraded community toilets, beautification of squares, waste-material parks, recycling centres, paver block installations, and more. Still, the central force behind these developments are the Swachhata Didis, who carry out ground-level tasks like door-to-door garbage collection.
The event also saw participation from Jashpur MLA Raymuni Bhagat, Sarguja Development Authority Vice President and Pathalgaon MLA Gomti Sai, District Panchayat President Salik Sai, and other officials and public representatives. Addressing the gathering, Gomti Sai said the women have taken up work that was once socially overlooked and turned it into a community-led movement.
The ceremony celebrated how sustained efforts by grassroots workers, particularly women, have transformed sanitation in Jashpur and elevated its standing on the national stage.
