Chief Minister’s Vision is to Make the State Clean, Prosperous and Developed: K.K. Gupta

Jaipur: The State Sanitation Brand Ambassador appointed by the Government of Rajasthan for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), K.K. Gupta, addressed an orientation workshop of the Swachh Bharat Mission at the auditorium of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, the largest urban local body in the state, on Tuesday.

While addressing the meeting, Gupta said that the Swachh Bharat Mission must now be transformed into a mass movement. For this, along with public participation, the role of officers and employees associated with the mission is equally important, as achieving the desired targets is not possible without their 100 percent participation.

Gupta stated that the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma, has resolved to make the state prosperous and developed, and the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission is a key priority in achieving that goal.

He informed that the Chief Minister regularly reviews the meetings being held in various urban local bodies under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), and feedback regarding the working style of officers is being submitted. In the past one month, meetings have been held in 90 urban bodies across 17 districts.

Gupta emphasized that the Chief Minister has given clear instructions that negligence in sanitation work will not be tolerated and the mission will be implemented with a zero-tolerance policy. The Chief Minister has also directed that Rajasthan must achieve excellent results in the Swachh Bharat Mission and emerge as a top-performing state in the country. All targets must be achieved with strict accountability, and any lapse or negligence will not be accepted.

Cleanliness is the First Step Toward Good Governance

Gupta said that good governance means people should experience a welfare-oriented administration, and the Swachh Bharat Mission serves as the first step toward this objective. Cleanliness directly affects the daily lives of citizens. Where cleanliness prevails, dirt and diseases decline, and people remain healthier.

He noted that governments spend crores of rupees on healthcare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana. If sanitation improves and people fall ill less frequently, funds currently spent on healthcare could instead be used for infrastructure and development projects.

Clear Instructions on Urban Development Approvals

Gupta also referred to instructions under Section 90A related to urban land development, stating that construction approvals should only be issued after the complete development of the land by the concerned landowner.

He said essential infrastructure such as roads, street lights, water supply, drainage, and gardens must be completed before approval. If a new colony is being developed, proper water treatment systems must also be installed to ensure that polluted water does not flow into nearby lakes or ponds.

Only after completing these works should the 12.5 percent reserved plots be allotted. If plots are allotted earlier, the responsible officer will be held accountable. Gupta added that citizens often blame municipal bodies for lack of facilities, while in reality the colony developer is responsible for providing basic infrastructure.

No Laxity in Swachh Bharat Mission Standards

Gupta stressed that no negligence should occur in any parameter of the Swachh Bharat Mission, and awareness campaigns must be conducted to involve the public.

He directed that:

• 100 percent door-to-door garbage collection must be ensured.

• Waste should be segregated into wet and dry categories.

• Garbage must be collected daily, throughout the year at a fixed time.

• Owners of vacant plots that have turned into dumping sites should be issued notices to clean them within three days, failing which municipal bodies will clean them and recover the cost with a penalty.

• Plastic waste spread along roads must be collected and eliminated, as it can cause death of cattle if consumed.

He also called for strict enforcement against plastic use, ensuring stray cattle are moved to shelters, and maintaining public toilets and urinals with cleaning three times a day, along with proper lighting, water supply, and maintenance.

Other directions included:

• Regular night sanitation drives in commercial areas throughout the year.

• Assigning sanitation workers a 400-meter cleaning target.

• Requiring shopkeepers to keep waste bins and ensuring garbage collection one hour before shops close.

• Improving municipal parks with swings for children, walking paths, fountains, landscaping, and security guards.

• Building boundary walls around waste yards and ensuring continuous waste processing so that legacy waste does not accumulate again.

• Maintaining street lighting and repainting road dividers on major roads.

• Launching a 24-hour complaint helpline for citizens.

• Taking action against illegal meat shops and slaughterhouses operating in cities.

• Monitoring construction sites to ensure materials like sand and gravel do not spill onto roads.

Dungarpur: First Open-Defecation-Free Urban Body in Rajasthan

Gupta highlighted the achievements of the tribal region’s Dungarpur municipality, which has set remarkable benchmarks in sanitation.

He recalled that in 2015, during a workshop of urban local body heads in Jaipur, all municipalities were directed to become open-defecation-free (ODF). Gupta had then pledged to make Dungarpur the first such municipality and secure an incentive grant of ₹5 crore.

With joint efforts from officials and the public, Dungarpur achieved this goal and continues to earn recognition at national and international levels for cleanliness. The municipality consistently ranks among the top performers in the national Swachh Survekshan survey.

Sewerage Projects Must Not Trouble Citizens

Gupta also discussed ongoing sewerage projects in various urban bodies, noting that the government is investing hundreds of crores of rupees in these projects to ensure clean drinking water supply through proper water treatment.

He emphasized that wherever sewer lines are being installed, repair and restoration work must immediately follow excavation. Contractors often install pipelines but delay road repairs, causing inconvenience to the public and leading to criticism of the government.

He instructed that no more than one kilometer of sewer line should remain open at a time, maintenance work must proceed without delay, and complaints related to sewerage must be resolved promptly. Strict action should be taken wherever sewage water flows openly, including penalties and suspension of contractor payments if necessary.