Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today launched exclusive "Swachhata" Portal for the Special Campaign 2.0, scheduled to begin on October 2.

Developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in the Union Ministry of Personnel, the Portal- www.pgportal.govlin/scdpm22 is dedicated to Swachhata and reducing pendency of work in Government offices. The launch ceremony was attended by senior officers of 85 Ministries/Departments of Government of India, in the presence of Union Secretary, DARPG, V. Srinivas.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, as per the directions of Prime Minister Modi, the scope and mandate of Special Campaign 2.0 from 2nd October to 31st October, 2022 has been expended and all regional offices have been included in the campaign, apart from all Ministries/ Departments and all Attached/ Subordinate and Autonomous Bodies of Government of India. The Minister said, till date, more than 67,000 Sites have been identified by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India for conducting the cleanliness campaigns and it is likely to touch one lakh sites by 30th of September, while it was only 6,000 sites in the first special campaign undertaken in October, 2021.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s very first speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August 2014, wherein he announced to launch Swachh Bharat Mission from 2nd October, 2014, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the mission on hygiene cleanliness became a Jan-Andolan and imbibed by the people as a Social Reform Movement. He said, it also demonstrated the intent of the government that it will address the fundamental issues facing common-man in a mission mode.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that during the first phase of Special Campaign in October, 2021, about 12 lakh sq. ft. of space was freed up in offices for productive use and Rs.62 Crore earned from disposal of scrap. The Minister said, the activities included indoor and outdoor cleanliness campaign, disposal of scrap, weeding out of outlived records and disposal of pending references from the Members of Parliament, State Governments, Inter -Ministerial references, Parliament Assurances and Public Grievances.

Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised that the Special Campaign 2.0 will focus more on field/outstation offices in addition to the Ministries/ Departments and their attached/subordinate offices and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) will oversee implementation of the Special campaign 2.0. He informed that the Cabinet Secretary has addressed all Secretaries of Government of India on 23rd August, 2022 and DARPG Guidelines note for the same was issued on 25th August, 2022.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Special Campaign 2022 reinforces importance of timely disposal of references and a clean work space and it is expected to cover over 1.5 lakh Post Offices, overseas mission/posts, Railway Stations, and other public offices in mission mode during the month-long campaign. Training of nodal officers with respect to the portal of the Special Campaign has already been conducted by DARPG.

Dr Jitendra Singh also released three reports of DARPG, the Special Campaign July Progress Report, the CPGRAMS 7. 0 Brochure and the CPGRAMS Monthly Progress Report for August, 2022 will also be launched in the same function.

Union Secretary, DARPG, V.Srinivas said, the Preparatory Part of the Special Campaign 2.0 will commence with this launch of the Special Campaign 2.0 portal and it will continue till September 30, 2022 when, Ministries and Departments will identify the pendency in selected categories and finalize the campaign sites across their offices and complete necessary procedural requirements to conduct the Campaign. He said, every Ministry/ Department is expected to use the portal during the preparatory phase to enter targets of their cleanliness campaign sites, files to be weeded out, and various pendency figures like MPs' References, State Government References, etc.

Chandan Sinha, Director General, National Archives of India, Vineet Pandey, Secretary, Department of Posts and R.N. Singh, Secretary, Railway Board also gave presentations on the occasion.

<><><><><>

SNC/RR