Sanitation more important than political freedom: MoS Urban Affairs

Panaji Jan 20 (IANS) Underlining the importance of the Swachh Bharat Mission Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday quoting Mahatma Gandhi said that public sanitation is more important that political freedom.

"As a student of history I recall Mahatma Gandhi had actually said that Swachhta or sanitation is more important than even political freedom. In fact he launched the call for Swachchta in 1916 one year before the Champaran movement one year before he launched the civil disobedience movement which resulted in India getting its freedom. So it is absolutely important that we get this right " Puri told a press conference in the state capital.

Puri was in Goa to launch a star rating protocol for garbage-free cities in the country.

"The idea is that by the time we reach October 2 2019 which is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi the entire country should be open defecation free " Puri also said adding that the Swachch Bharat Mission which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 had now assumed the nature of a "jana andolan".

--IANS
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