Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been adjudged as the ‘most improved big state in the cleanliness’ category by India Today in its annual ‘State of the States survey.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hailed the State’s achievement in a Tweet. He congratulated the Housing and Urban Development Department and sanitation workers for ensuring adequate sanitation and maintaining a clean and green environment.
#Odisha has been awarded Most Improved Big State in Cleanliness at #StateoftheStates Conclave of @IndiaToday.Congratulations to team @HUDDeptOdisha & our sanitation workers for ensuring adequate sanitation & fostering habit of cleanliness & make #Odisha clean, green& beautiful pic.twitter.com/tB4IoUWWLS
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) November 22, 2019
Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Law, Housing & Urban Development Minister, Pratap Jena received the award on behalf of the Chief Minister from Union Minister Prakash Javadekar at India Today State of the States Conclave-2019 in New Delhi on Friday.
The survey has come as a big morale booster for the State as a government study published just a day earlier had panned Odisha for its state of sanitation.
According to the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 survey of the Union Jal Ministry, the state had 12 of the bottom 25 districts in terms of cleanliness and sanitation across the country.
Bodh district in Odisha fared the worst among all districts in the country with a survey score of 683. Jharsuguda (681) and Puri (679) were also among the 10 least clean districts.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu was ranked first in the country with eight districts among the 25 top cleanest in the country. It was followed by Haryana with nine districts among the top 25.
