Swachh Bharat: PM Modi cleans Varanasi's Assi Ghat with spade, nominates UP CM Akhilesh Yadav

On Saturday morning, dressed in a kurta-pyjama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a spade in hand, took the Clean India campaign to the next level. With the entire media watching on his first visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi since he assumed the PM chair, Modi started cleaning the Ganga at the Assi Ghat on Saturday at around 8.40 am.

As per the campaign norms, the PM nominated nine prominent people, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, to take the task forward.

“When I began the drive, I had nominated nine people. Today, taking that forward, I am nominating Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Chancellor of Chitrakoot Handicapped University Swami Ram Bhadracharya, Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari, writer Manu Sharma, cricketers Mohd Kaif and Suresh Raina, Padma Shri Professor Devi Prasad Dwivedi, television actor and comedian Raju Shrivastava and singer Kailash Kher,” the PM was quoted as saying by the latest reports.

Modi government remains keen on cleaning-up of the Ganga and the NGOs have assured to fast track the cleaning project. Modi set up a separate ministry headed by Uma Bharati for cleaning the river.

On Friday, as the Prime Minister adopted the Jayapur village during his two-day visit to Varanasi, he said that he himself had come with a request to be adopted by the people.

“I have not adopted Jayapur. I have come with a request for you to adopt me,” said Modi. Modi said that he had decided to adopt Jayapur village because right after he decided to fight the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi constituency, he had heard that five people had died in a fire in the village.

“A bond formed in adversity becomes a long-lived one,” said Modi. “No other place can teach you the things a village teaches you,” said the Prime Minister as he stressed on the importance of rural development.

“For 60 years, we believed that development will take place automatically after independence, but that didn’t happen. Then we thought governments aren’t doing anything. Therefore, a division between society and government was created.”

The Prime Minister then focused on specific issues as he said that the people in a village needed to become more aware about their history. “Does anybody in Jayapur know when the village was born? Does anyone know its birthday?” asked Modi. “A village needs to celebrate its own birthday and focus on cleanliness on that day.”

Focusing on child mortality, the Prime Minister said, “40 percent of the children who die in our country die because they did not wash their hands before eating.” He added that the people in the village, thus, needed to focus on children washing their hands. “Should the Govt tell us to get our children vaccinated for Polio? Can’t our youth take on this responsibility?” Modi added.

Modi also talked women empowerment in villages. “The birth of a girl should be celebrated by a family in a village,” he said. Modi also said that Jayapur should decide that female infanticide will not take place in their village.

Earlier on Friday, PM Modi had also said that he would work for “improving the living conditions of the poor and developing the region” as he laid the foundation stone of a Rs.200 crore Trade Facilitation Centre in Varanasi.

“I believe in doing rather than making tall claims. You have expressed faith in me and showered me with love.

“I can assure the people of Kashi that I will never let them down and to the best of my abilities work for improving the living conditions of the poor and developing the region,” said Modi. He also said that Varanasi has “a very special place” in his heart.

He also laid the foundation of a Powerloom service centre and a crafts museum in Varanasi.

Referring to the immense potential of handicraft in Varanasi and eastern UP, Modi said after agriculture, the textile sector offered the maximum employment.

Calling for tapping of this potential and using the craft strategically for availing the trade opportunities in the world, Modi said that while he will make no big announcements during his maiden visit to Varanasi and he would ensure that there is no dearth of funds for various projects which will be set rolling in the time to come.

He also stressed on the need of technology upgrade and assimilation of the e-business environment in their trade arena.

With inputs from agencies