PM praises SMC for making Dar brand ambassador

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for its move to nominate 18-year-old youth from Wullar lake of Bandipora district as its brand ambassador for its cleanliness drive.
Modi, in his widely broadcast programme of Mann Ki Baat, today said: “I congratulate the SMC for choosing 18-year-old Bilal Ahmad Dar as brand ambassador of its swachhata programme. You may think he is a known actor or sports hero. No, Dar since the age of 12 has been engaged in cleanliness of Asia’s largest lake Wular near Srinagar. Dar’s father has died due to cancer. Dar, at a young age, started lifting plastic bottles, polythene and garbage from the lake. He would clean it and earn his livelihood too from the garbage,” said the PM.
The PM said Dar has lifted around 1200 kg of garbage from the lake and has become an inspiration. “I congratulate the SMC for its imagination. Besides, the SMC has provided him a vehicle and a uniform. Dar visits different areas to aware people and inspire other for cleanliness. Dar might be young but he is a big inspiration,” said Modi.
He said the cleanliness drive will go a long way for Srinagar, which is a tourist destination. “Every Indian wishes to visit Srinagar and the cleanliness will help attract more tourists,” said the PM.
SMC Commissioner Dr Shafqat Khan thanked the PM for praising the Corporation. The SMC Commissioner said the Corporation is holding mega events to make ‘swachhata’ campaign a huge success. “We are engaging NGOs, students and civil society members to ensure the cleanliness drive to take to a new level”, he said.

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