New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the country’s biggest-ever cleanliness drive that is expected to cost over Rs.62,000 crore, asserting that the “Swachh Bharat” mission is “beyond politics” and inspired by patriotism.

Debunking criticism that his government has been taking credit for every achievement, the Prime Minister acknolwedged the efforts of all previous governments to make India clean. “I am not talking politics…this is beyond politics. This is inspired my patriotism not politcs. We do not have to do with an eye on politics…I say that with a clean heart. If we paint this again with a brush of politics, we will again do a disservice to mother India.”

Administering a pledge to people to make India clean, he said that this task is not the responsibility only of safai karamcharis or the government but of all the 125 crore Indians.

“Do citizens have no role in this? We have to change this mindset,” Modi said. “India can do it, the people of India can do it.”

If Indians can reach Mars, they certainly can clean up the country, he said to the applause from the gathering that included scores of school students as well as people from all walks of life.

“It takes time to change established mindset. It is a difficult task. But we have five years,” he said, referring to the deadline of 2019.

Modi compared his slogan of “Clean India” to Mahatma Gandhi’s war cry of “Quit India” during the Independence movement.

“The way we derived pleasure from Quit India, we will derive the same pleasure from Clean India.”

“All the governments in this country have made one or the other effort to do this work. Several political, social and cultural organisations have made efforts in this direction. I greet all those, who have worked,” Modi said in his 25-minute address at Rajpath, where he formally kicked off the five-year-long campaign that will cover 4,041 statutory towns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in cleanliness drive that he launched on Thursday. Photo: PIBPrime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in cleanliness drive that he launched on Thursday. Photo: PIBHe said that today’s campaign should not be seen as a mere photo opportunity.

In an event marked by fervour and symbolism, the Prime Minister earlier wielded a broom and swept pavement in Valmiki Basti, a colony of sanitation workers here.

The prime minister said that he is aware that the criticism of this programme will begin in just a few days but said he is prepared for this exuding confidence that the countrymen will not let him down.

The prime minister named nine people — including cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actors Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan and industrialist Anil Ambani — to spread the message of Clean India.

Preparations were being made in government offices and also by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Delhi for large participation in “cleanliness oath”.

The launch was preceded by cleanliness campaign week beginning September 25 which saw central government offices being spruced up by discarding or overhauling old furniture and sending old files to record rooms.

The launch of the mission comes in the wake of a perception about Indian cities not being very clean. A number of people in rural areas still do not have access to toilets. Some schools in the rural areas also do not have toilets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in cleanliness drive that he launched on Thursday. Photo: PIBPrime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in cleanliness drive that he launched on Thursday. Photo: PIBAccording to Census 2011, only 32.70 per cent of rural households had access to toilets. According to a UN report released this year, India continues to have the largest number of people in the world defecating in the open.

Modi has been talking of “Clean India” in his major speeches, and most people feel that personal push being given by him to sanitation would have an impact.

Modi has said that a “clean India” will be the best tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary in 2019. The Father of the Nation had a penchant for cleanliness in his personal habits and strongly promoted it in society.

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday conducted surprise check in his ministry and expressed unhappiness over cleanliness in some rooms as also loose wires in corridors and upkeep of books in library. Paswan also picked up waste papers.

Home Secretary Anil Goswami also conducted surprise inspections to check cleanliness in home ministry offices and said such inspections will continue in the future.

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday released a handbook – ‘Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya’ to encourage hygiene and cleanliness in schools across the country.

The handbook aims at promoting behavioural change in school children so that they become agents of change in the society.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh urged staff of his ministry to devote two hours every week as “shramdan (labour)” to achieve the goal of the mission.

Academic institutions, industry associations and the corporate sector are expected to pitch in enthusiastically in the mission.