Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 20 : ‘Swachhata’, viz Cleanliness, does not add to costs but, in fact, boosts productivity and conserves resources, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, during his visit to the Finance Ministry offices in North Block to oversee preparations for the Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0. He directed senior officers to aim for reducing pendency in Government Offices with a saturation approach.
The Union Minister said, close to 90 lakh square feet of prime office space has been cleared during the last two Swachhata campaigns and put into productive usage. Besides, the Government generated a revenue of Rs. 370.83 crores from disposal of scrap, 64.92 lakh files were reviewed, 4.56 lakh Public Grievances Redressed and 8,998 MPs’ references replied.Swachhata campaign also spurred eOffice work culture in the Government and now over 90% file work has been made online.
The Government of India has announced Special campaign 3.0 from 2ndOctober, 2023, coinciding with the Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, till 31stOctober, 2023. The Campaign is a sequel of the Special campaigns conducted in the last two years.
Special Campaign 3.0 will focus on field/outstation offices responsible for service delivery or having public interface, in addition to the Ministries/Departments and their attached/subordinate offices. Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is the Nodal Department for implementation of Special Campaign 3.0.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi transformed the Swachhata campaign into a Jan Andolanwithin a few months.He said, the DARPG has launched a compendium of 300 Best Practices which will be implemented by all Government Ministries and Departments and published widely through media, highlighting ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Science’ approach”.
During the visit, Dr Jitendra Singh was presented a collage of the activities undertaken during the Special Campaign 2.0 by Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs(CBIC), Shri Sanjay Agarwal. He apprised the Minister that the CBIC has redesigned office spaces for optimum utilisation and a rooftop garden & cafetaria has been created by CGST, Bhopal Zone at its offices. Revenue Secretary Shri Sanjay Malhotra and Secretary, DARPG, Shri V. Srinivas were also present on the occasion.
Special Campaign 3.0 will focus on field/outstation offices responsible for service delivery or having public interface, in addition to the Ministries/Departments and their attached/subordinate offices. Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is the Nodal Department for implementation of Special Campaign 3.0.
The Cabinet Secretary addressed all Secretaries of Government of India on 25th August, 2023 and DARPG guidelines for the same were issued on 1st September, 2023.