Government working to realise Bapu's vision on sanitation: Sitharaman
New Delhi, Oct 2 : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi government believed in Mahatma Gandhis vision on sanitation and was working to realise it.
"Gandhi ji said that sanitation is more important than independence. The government believes in this vision of Bapu," the Minister said.
She said even after 72 years of Independence and despite many awareness programmes about sanitation and personal cleanliness launched by earlier governments, not much progress could be achieved.
"Therefore, in order to fulfil dream of Mahatma Gandhi to make India clean, Swachh Bharat Mission was introduced," she said.
She said Swachh Bharat Mission is the biggest public campaign launched by the government on October 02, 2014, wherein people, government employees and students have voluntarily taken part.
The 62 Cantonment Boards under the Defence Ministry actively participated in ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa' campaign from September 15 to October 2 this year. She said out of 62 cantonments, 61 across the country have been certified as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
Sitharaman also participated in the 'shramdaan' (voluntary labour) with a broom outside Cantonment General Hospital at Sadar Bazar along with senior officials.
She also inaugurated a free health camp organized by the Delhi Cantonment Board at Cantonment General Hospital.
Deputy Director General Defence Estates Suresh Nagar administered Swachhta oath to the gathering. Director General Defence Estates Deepa Bajwa, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Subhash Chandra, General officer Commanding (GOC) Delhi Area Lt. Gen Asit Mistry and other senior officers of Defence Ministry were also present.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
