Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh government’s Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Bhupendra Singh Thakur, said the level of awareness among residents of a city should be increased to make it number one in terms of cleanliness.

Thakur made this statement in an interview with Free Press to Sagar recently.

It is not difficult to achieve the goal if the residents, voluntary organizations and administrative officials of a city maintain regular interactions and work in tandem with each other.

Maintaining cleanliness is the responsibility of officers, as well as those who litter the roads, he said.

According to Thakur, it is necessary to learn how to dispose of garbage, which includes how to use the trash can, not to spit it anywhere, put a trash can outside a store, pay attention to where garbage is thrown away.

In addition, one must learn how to separate dry and wet waste and hand it over to garbage collection vehicles, he said.

It is the citizens’ responsibility, because the health officials are doing their job efficiently and if they get the residents’ cooperation, their job will be easier than it is now, Thakur said.

Regarding the installation of the dairies, he stated that the work of staffing the places where the dairies will be installed is continuing and will soon be completed.

Those who smash trash cans with bad intentions should face the music, he said, adding that the budget to do creative work is not lacking and funds will be sanctioned upon request.

To a question that garbage was not collected twice a day, the Minister replied that it was done on the main roads.

If there is a problem, it will be solved by talking to officials, he said.

The municipality is making every effort to make Sagar the number one city in terms of cleanliness, and that it will be among the top ten cities in the country, Thakur added.

The Minister himself monitors the ongoing development work in the city. According to Thakur, officials in his department monitor the quality of each development project around the clock.

Immediately after receiving a complaint about negligent work, he asks the officials concerned to rectify the mistakes, Thakur added.

The inhabitants face certain difficulties because of the Smart City project and that of the works carried out by the municipal authority.

Nevertheless, when the works are completed, the city will be beautiful like all other metropolitan cities in the country, he said.

(With contributions from Satish Pathak)

Posted: Sunday 06 February 2022, 01:00 IST