Punjab Newsline | Ludhiana
Punjab Government has launched a major cleanliness initiative titled “Mission Clean Punjab”, under which ministers and senior officials will spend an hour every morning on the ground to monitor sanitation efforts across the state.
Announcing the campaign, Punjab Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains said a dedicated war room has been established at the department’s headquarters to oversee implementation. He stated that Municipal Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs), and Executive Officers (EOs) across urban local bodies will be required to conduct field inspections regularly.
The minister said cities will be ranked every week based on their cleanliness performance, creating a competitive framework to improve sanitation standards. On Monday morning, Bains reviewed the attendance of Municipal Corporation Commissioners and Executive Officers from municipal councils through a video conference.
To assess the campaign’s ground-level implementation, the minister asked several officers to share their live locations during the virtual meeting. During a video call with Dr. Neeru Katyal Gupta, she informed him that she was inspecting sanitation arrangements near the Ludhiana bus stand. She also reported that zonal commissioners from all four city zones were simultaneously conducting field inspections in different parts of Ludhiana.
Bains emphasized that detailed guidelines had already been issued to all department heads and that strict compliance has now begun. He added that he will personally verify officers’ field presence every day between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. through video conferencing. Senior officials from the Local Government Department will also conduct surprise inspections to verify attendance and monitor progress.
As part of the initiative, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has devised a city-wide sanitation strategy. The city has been divided into stretches of 10 kilometers each, with a designated nodal officer assigned responsibility for maintaining cleanliness within each zone.
Municipal Commissioner Dr. Neeru Katyal Gupta said officers will be directly accountable for removing roadside debris, addressing sewer blockages promptly, and ensuring thorough cleaning of roads and vacant plots within their designated areas.
To oversee the entire operation and ensure coordination among departments, Vineet Kumar has been appointed as the overall in-charge, while zonal commissioners have been directed to maintain strict supervision within their respective jurisdictions.
