UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma Appeals To Pilgrims To Help Clean Mathura 

Uttar Pradesh power minister Shrikant Sharma on Thursday (5 October) appealed to pilgrims to help the authorities in maintaining the cleanliness of the city. “In order to please Lord Krishna and convert his birthplace into a model of cleanliness, cooperate with Brijwasis in maintaining his birthplace clean whenever you are on pilgrimage to Mathura,” he said while launching a week-long cleanliness drive at Mathura.

He hoped that the city, if kept clean, will emerge among the top ten cities in the cleanliness rankings in the country.

“Let us take a pledge — neither we would throw garbage nor allow anybody to do it,” he said.

A five-day programme had earlier been planned to clean Mathura, which was ranked at a dismal 352 in the Swachh Bharat survey of Indian cities released in May.

The programme, to be launched on 28 September, would be led by Sharma, according to BJP leader Pradeep Goshwami.

Goshwami said the drive is aimed at ensuring Mathura finds a place among the first 10 most clean Indian districts in the next ranking.

He said public meetings would be organised in all areas during the drive to encourage people to clean Mathura. PTI