Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has instructed the district collectors to undertake a cleanliness drive at all temples in the state and ensure the change is ”visible” within a week, ahead of the consecration of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Shinde gave these instructions at a review meeting chaired by him at his official residence on Sunday.
”Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to keep temples clean. The district collectors in Maharashtra should undertake a cleanliness drive across all the temples and decorate them with electric lights. The change should be visible within a week,” Shinde said.
He said the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) of every district should allocate some funds for undertaking the cleaning of temples and surroundings at regular intervals.
DPDCs can allocate funds through a special scheme, Shinde told the collectors, as per a release.
The chief minister also asked the state revenue department to appoint a nodal officer to monitor this work.
