Kolkata: Signalling a shift in Bengal’s civic and cultural governance, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari hit the ground on Wednesday morning as he picked up a broom to lead a cleanliness drive at Mayer Ghat in Bagbazar.“Development is crucial, but cleanliness is equally indispensable. We must clean all of Kolkata and the entire state,” Adhikari told reporters even as he swept the ghat, along with ministers Tapas Roy and Agnimitra Paul.The move marked the launch of the statewide ‘Swachhata Se Swagat’ (Welcome with Cleanliness) campaign, a six-day joint venture of the state secretariat and the KMC, aimed at presenting a pristine ‘Tilottama’—a sobriquet for Kolkata—to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will lead the central International Yoga Day celebrations of Bengal from Red Road on June 21.To ensure a clean city, the KMC solid waste management department has deployed ward-wise cleaning squads, each with bolstered manpower, across major economic and transit hubs.The BJP govt has placed comprehensive sanitation on top of its agenda, aligning the state with the national Swachh Bharat and Swachh Bangla visions. During the morning drive, urban development and municipal affairs minister Paul announced a facelift for 20 major ghats along the Hooghly. “The CM has directed us to expand these ghats, small structures are not to his liking,” Paul said. “We will scale them up, install solar lighting, build modern changing rooms and establish permanent arrangements for daily Ganga Arati, mirroring the iconic tradition of Haridwar. Funds are secured and detailed project reports will be executed immediately.”At Babughat, more than 150 Iskcon devotees joined the ghat clean-up drive. “The govt’s efforts must be supported by public responsibility and reverence for Ganga,” said Radharamn Das, vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata, even as the devotees engaged with citizens, stressing their civic responsibility towards the Hooghly. The exercise, which was conducted from 2.30 pm to 6 pm, ended with Iskcon devotees performing a Ganga Puja and Ganga Arati, praying for the river’s protection and greater environmental stewardship.“Cleanliness is the cornerstone of a vibrant, welcoming city,” chief minister Adhikari posted on X. “Kolkata is undergoing a thorough transformation. We are committed to rebuilding Kolkata as a world-class, future-ready centre of trade and commerce.”
