Shah asks citizens to help civic body to ensure Ahmedabad becomes country’s cleanest city

Ahmedabad, Oct 3 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged residents of Ahmedabad in Gujarat to cooperate with civic authorities to achieve the aim of making the city the country’s cleanest in the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan next year.

Shah was speaking at an event organised by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in Bhadaj area after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of projects costing Rs 447 crore.

Ahmedabad city is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency of Shah, who is in the state on a two-day visit.

In Swachh Survekshan 2023, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Surat in Gujarat were jointly declared the cleanest cities in the country.

“The AMC is aiming to bring the city on top in Swachh Survekshan. We may not achieve that target this year. But, if we start today, we can achieve the target of being the cleanest city in the country in next year’s survey,” Shah said, adding he would be meeting civic officials to chalk out a plan in this connection.

“I urge all the citizens to take a resolve on cleanliness and cooperate with the AMC in its endeavour to make Ahmedabad the cleanest city in the country,” he said.

After Mahatma Gandhi, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has focussed on cleanliness because it is associated with health and has ensured each and every household has a toilet and everyone gets clean drinking water, Shah told the gathering.

Shah informed the audience that developmental works costing Rs 37,000 crore were undertaken in his Lok Sabha constituency during the last five years, comprising works costing Rs 23,951 crore approved by the Gujarat government and projects costing Rs 14,000 crore approved by the Centre.

“This is a huge achievement and I am proud to be your representative in the Lok Sabha. These projects include roads, overbridges, hospitals, libraries, gardens, schools and lake beautification,” he said.