The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, today inaugurated the “Swachhta Hi Seva” and “Shouchalayakkagi Samara” (A Crusade For Toilets) Programme in Karnataka. He was presiding as the Chief Guest over a public event at Hubli.

The Vice President later visited Konnur Village, in Naragund Taluk, Gadag District, where he initiatied the activity of ‘Tippe Samskarane’ (Waste Processing). He also inaugurated a “Shudda Kudiyuva Neerina Ghataka” (Purified Drinking Water Plant), visited the Janata Colony in the village, and addressed a “Shouchalayakkagi Samara” public gathering at the local high school.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice President emphasized the need for Swachhata to become a jan aandolan. He complimented the taluka, district and State for the good progress made by them. He urged all present to participate in Swachhata activities and said that Swachh Bharat Mission is a national program, a people’s program, and not one of any particular political party. He gave several examples of ordinary people making extraordinary contributions, including Ms Lavanya, a young girl from Karnataka who persuaded her unwilling family to build a toilet and then went on to inspire her entire village. The Vice President appreciated the fact that many young women are now demanding toilets before they get married into another family.

On the occasion, the Vice President also honoured 13 Village Panchayat Presidents and the Naragund Taluka Panchayat President, the achievers of “Shouchalayakkagi Samara”. He also declared the rural areas of Naragund Taluk as an ODF block.

Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, the Governor of Karnataka, began his address by thanking the Vice President for starting the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign from Karnataka. He also emphasized the importance of caring for one another, as enshrined in the slogan of the government, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. He said that to care for others, we need to start by taking the initiative ourselves in the direction of a Swachh Bharat.

Shri Ramesh Jigajinagi, the Minister of State, Drinking Water and Sanitation, congratulated the State government on the occasion and re-emphasized the importance of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign. He reiterated the fact that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in his recent visit to Uttar Pradesh, had appreciated the naming of a toilet as “Izzat Ghar”.

Shri H.K. Patil, Karnataka Minister for Rural development and Panchayati Raj, gave a snapshot of the progress being made by the State under the Swachh Bharat Mission and said that both, the State and the nation, were moving at a good pace towards becoming clean and free from open defecation.

In his welcome address at the gathering, Shri Parameswaran Iyer, the Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, shared a nationwide progress update on Swachh Bharat Mission and appreciated the good progress being made by the Government of Karnataka in meeting the goals of the Mission.

Shri P.C. Gaddigoudar, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and Shri B.R. Yavagal, MLA, Naragund, were also present on the occasion.