PM Modi addressed 20,000 'swachhagrahis' at the Champaran Satyagraha centenary celebrations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar for leading the Swachh Bharat mission in India.
"I am proud of the fact that Bihar has shown its leadership abilities in this journey from Satyagraha to Swachhgraha," PM Modi said while addressing around 20,000 'swachhagrahis' or cleanliness ambassadors at the concluding ceremony of the Champaran Satyagraha centenary celebrations.
The Bihar government had in April 2017 launched year-long celebrations to mark the centenary of Champaran Satyagraha movement of Mahatma Gandhi.
Eleven projects worth over Rs 3,000 crore have been sanctioned in Bihar to stop the flow of untreated water from homes and factories to the Ganga, the PMO Twitter handle quoted Modi as saying.
"In the past one week, over 8.5 lakh toilets have been constructed in Bihar and that is not an easy task to do. I congratulate Nitish Kumar government and all 'swachhagrahis' for their effort," PM Modi said.
"I salute the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi present inside every individual. Those who say that history does not repeat itself, should come here and take a look at the mass movement," he added.
The event was organised to mark 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagrah with an aim to spread the message of Swachh Bharat.
Mahatma Gandhi launched the Champaran Satyagrah on April 10, 1917 against the British to fight for the rights of farmers who were forced to undertake indigo cultivation.
(with inputs from agencies)