New Delhi

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced the launch of a 20-day intensive cleanliness drive across the national capital, vowing visible transformation in Delhi’s public spaces.

The government aims to implement large-scale waste segregation, remove encroachments and ensure daily monitoring and reporting during the drive that begins Friday.

The announcement was made following a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at Raj Niwas which was attended by district magistrates, deputy commissioners, DCPs, and department heads.

"In every corner of the city, cameras should be active. Every religious place, market and school has been directed to ban single-use plastic. Dust-prone areas will be greened through plantations, and cleanliness will be carried out twice daily 8 am and in the evening," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said in a press conference.

Rekha stressed that all civic body officials would be held accountable for their areas. "Every top official has to visit their jurisdiction daily and submit reports to their department head, which will be forwarded to the CM's office. No encroachment, debris, or garbage will be tolerated on public pathways, parks or markets," she said.

She added that wall defacement through posters or graffiti would invite strict penalties.

All top officials including DMs and DCPs will be held responsible for any lapse, she added.

Highlighting the BJP-led central and state governments along with municipal control, Rekha said, "Delhi is witnessing a historic moment with the advent of a triple-engine government. This campaign, under triple enging government, will break the deadlock of years and turn Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Swachh Bharat into a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Delhi."

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The renewed focus on sanitation comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decisive win in the February Delhi Assembly elections, where it secured 48 of 70 seats, reducing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to 22. Cleanliness and sanitation were major flashpoints during the campaign.