Modi effect: Special cleanliness drive at MHA, DoPT offices

New Delhi: On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction, a special drive was started on Sunday to clean offices of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) at North Block here.

The drive is aimed at creating healthy working environment for the staff in the two key departments by getting rid of clutter and weeding out old and unwanted files, officials said.

The staff in both the departments have been told to keep their working space clean.

Besides, senior officials in the MHA and DoPT will be ensuring that their subordinates work in neat and clean offices, a DoPT official said.

The move assume significance as Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth has recently written to secretaries of various central government departments pressing the need for clean working spaces.

Seth has apparently written to all secretaries following a directive from the Prime Minister, the official said.

The government wants to do away with people's perception that government buildings and offices are untidy.

The department heads have been told to do away with unwanted files so that more space can be created for other useful purposes, he said.

Authorities in both the MHA and DoPT will also ensure that their premises are clean and unnecessary building material are not lying there, the official said.

There are certain offices where construction material is lying for years. In some office premises, unused or junked vehicles are also parked.

The department secretaries will be making sure that no such vehicles or building material are lying, he said. Also, there will be regular visits by senior officials of

the MHA and DoPT to ensure that cleanliness drive is not stopped mid-way.

Recently, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh visited offices and sections under them.

Both the ministers interacted with the officials and directed the authorities to ensure clean working spaces.