Governor NN Vohra today chaired a high level meeting of vice chancellors, experts and senior civil servants to review implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission and of the newly launched Swachh Bharat Summer Internship Scheme.
Chairing the meeting at Raj Bhawan here, Governor urged college students, NCC/NSS cadets, and youth at large to join the Internship Scheme and contribute towards cleaning the environment. He urged officers and participants in the meeting to work in close coordination to make the Mission programme a grand success across the State.
Governor appreciated the initiatives taken by former chief secretary, B.B. Vyas, to secure a phenomenal increase in the pace of work to construct several lakh toilets in Jammu and Kashmir during the last one and half years. He observed that all the infrastructure being created under Swachh Bharat Mission campaign must be gainfully utilized, for which an intensive awareness campaign must be continued.
Governor expressed his concern regarding the dumping of garbage outside houses, on roads and lanes, highways, near Bus Stands and public places and stressed that a great deal of work still needs to be done to achieve a clean and healthy environment.
Governor also pointed to the urgent need for finding sustainable solutions for the scientific disposal or treatment of solid wastes being generated in the rural and urban areas. He stressed that the Shalimar Microbes developed by SKUAST (Kashmir) and use of vermi compost/microbial based degradation methods can be of immense help in Solid Waste Management and need to be given wide publicity. Governor emphasised that the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and off-site campuses of the farm universities should be utilized for promoting, spreading these practices in the rural areas.
Governor observed that students could perhaps be sent in groups, rather than individually, for campaigning in rural/urban areas for ensuring success of the Internship Scheme. He stressed on all the vice-chancellors and deans to incentivize students by giving awards and prizes to those who do exemplary work in creating awareness about Swachhta.
Governor observed that participation in the Swachhta Mission Programmes will not only provide a great learning experience for students but also contribute towards enhancing the achievement of a clean and healthy India. This would be valuable opportunity for young people who wish to contribute to Social advancement in a meaningful way.
In his ‘introductory observations’ regarding implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission in Jammu and Kashmir, BB Vyas, Advisor to Governor gave an overview of the efforts of the Housing and Urban Development Department and Rural Development Department Development in construction of toilets in urban and rural areas and showed his satisfaction regarding the rapid progress achieved in the matter.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to Governor, BB Vyas; chief secretary, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam; Financial Commissioner, Housing and Urban Development Department, K.B. Agarwal; Commissioner, besides VCs of various varsities of the state.