Nita Ambani, wife of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan and Marathi film star Makrand Anaspure are among the nine eminent personalities from Maharashtra who will be the “goodwill ambassadors” of the ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ in the state.
The announcement was made by Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao after the launch of the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan in Mantralaya and Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
The other goodwill ambassadors include Director of Aditya Birla Group Rajshree Birla, shooter Anjali Bhagwat, the teenager who lost her arms in a tragic train accident – Monika More, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi Tushar Gandhi and social reformer Dattatreya Narayan Alias Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
“I am sure their involvement with the campaign will inspire many people to work for cleanliness in the society. We have to turn this campaign into a mass movement,” the Governor said.
Rao stressed the need to sustain the tempo of the movement for cleanliness. “Lot needs to be done, both in Mumbai and Maharashtra to emerge as the cleanest state in the country. Maharashtra has made pioneering efforts in cleanliness campaign in the form of Sant Gadgebaba Abhiyan. We have to give a major impetus to the campaign under the leadership of the Prime Minister,” Rao said.
He said focus should be on public places starting with railway stations, hospitals, offices, market places. “I am visiting JJ Hospital on October 18 to take part in the cleanliness drive,” he said. Rao said he had told the Chief Secretary and the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner to make the campaign participatory and visible.
“I have asked them to involve citizens groups, NGOs in all districts and housing societies in cities in the campaign. I have told them to identify selected public places which need urgent cleaning and lead the effort from the front,” he added.
