In a significant step towards strengthening urban cleanliness initiatives, a Clean City Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Karnal in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The ceremony, held at the District Secretariat Auditorium on Saturday, marked the beginning of a collaborative effort to promote cleanliness and environmental sustainability across urban areas of the state.
On this occasion, Karnal Municipal Corporation entered into an MoU with five municipal bodies, reinforcing the government’s commitment to achieving the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) in a structured and result-oriented manner. Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal joined the event from Sonipat via video conferencing and highlighted the importance of the Clean City Partnership with municipal bodies across the country.
The Chief Minister noted that Karnal had secured the third position in the recent national cleanliness survey. Now, Karnal will mentor five cities of the state—Siwan and Rajound (Kaithal), Ismailabad (Kurukshetra), Narnaund (Hisar), and Kalanwali (Sirsa)—on cleanliness. He added that other towns and cities would also be developed as clean, green, and beautiful by meeting defined cleanliness parameters.
The Chief Minister announced that a Cleanliness Competition will soon be organised among cities in Haryana. A ranking system with set parameters has already been developed, he said, adding continuous efforts are underway in municipal corporations, councils, and committees to maintain cleanliness and realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a clean, green, and beautiful state.
Later, while interacting with media persons, the Chief Minister said that cities performing well in the Swachhata rankings have each adopted five other cities to mentor them in becoming cleaner. Along with Karnal, Sonipat has also adopted five towns—Hodal, Narnaul, Pataudi Mandi, Farukhnagar, and Kundli. He emphasized that maintaining cleanliness prevents many diseases and is a collective responsibility.
In response to a question, the Chief Minister said that paddy procurement is proceeding smoothly. “Efforts are being made to install electronic weighing scales in the mandis. The district administration has deputed officers to oversee procurement arrangements and ensure smooth purchasing.”
Nayab Singh Saini also highlighted that unlike the Congress government, which rarely compensated farmers for crop loss and often issued negligible cheques, the present government ensures timely payments. This year too, farmers registered on the compensation portal will receive compensation promptly after verification, he said.
MLA Jagmohan Anand, Assandh MLA Yoginder Rana, Director General of the Urban Local Bodies Department Dr Pankaj, Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh, Mayor Renu Bala, and officers from various municipal bodies were present at the occasion.