Wealth From Waste: How Centre Got Cracking On Junk Cleanup

In June, after taking charge as Prime Minister of the country for a third time, Narendra Modi had instructed central ministries to go for a massive cleanliness campaign to reduce waste and also address grievances as effective "nagrik ke sevak."

According to latest government data, at least 11.5 lakh sites with government office spaces have been cleaned and 643 sqft land has been freed, which means the exercise has led to not just freeing up of a huge amount of office space but also doing away with a lot of scrap that was lying around for years in office spaces.

Sources said the Centre has managed to raise Rs 2,364 crore from scrap disposal. The highest revenue from scrap disposal came from the railways - Rs 400 crore, followed by the ministries of defence and power.

Under this campaign, nearly 2.90 lakh school sites and 56,000 railway sites have been cleaned, per the data. PM Modi had a special praise for these efforts, when he called them "commendable."

"By focussing on efficient management and proactive action, this effort has attained great results. It shows how collective efforts can lead to sustainable results, promoting both cleanliness and economic prudence," he posted on X.

The special campaign efforts were led by Department of Personnel and Training Minister Jitender Singh and secretary of DAPRG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) V Srinivas.

DAPRG, the nodal agency for governance in the country, also focuses on helping ministries to address public grievances. Expediting the disposal of complaints is being seen as a priority task for Modi 3.0.

According to the latest government data, ministries such as Home, Railways, and External Affairs rank high in disposing off grievances after they are addressed. Around 22 ministries have said they disposed off all grievances that come to them through a centralised portal.

PM Modi in his meetings with his council of ministers has insisted on government departments and central ministries being responsive to complaints. This, according to sources, is being pushed as a highlight of governance under Modi 3.0.