Gujarat Government Honors 24 Urban Local Bodies with ‘Nirmal Gujarat’ Awards

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government recognized 24 urban local bodies for their outstanding performance in sanitation at the ‘Nirmal Gujarat’ awards ceremony held in Gandhinagar. The event, which also included a brainstorming session for the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, was presided over by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The Chief Minister presented the ‘Nirmal Gujarat’ awards to eight municipal corporations and 16 municipalities. A total of Rs. 18.5 crore in incentive funds was also distributed to the winning bodies. During his address, CM Patel emphasized that the aim is to foster healthy competition among cities in undertaking public welfare works, including sanitation.

“Now, we all have to work together to carry out quality development works,” the Chief Minister stated while addressing elected representatives of the municipalities. He added that the goal is to develop even the smallest sections of society and bring them into the mainstream to build a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). CM Patel also stressed the importance of using products made in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative and the necessity of self-reliance in all sectors.

The awards follow Gujarat’s significant improvement in the central government’s ‘Swachhata Sarvekshan 2024-25’. The state jumped to the third rank nationally, with its cities scoring an average of over 8,100 out of 12,500 marks, a major leap from its eighth-place position the previous year. The survey’s theme was based on the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

The ceremony was attended by Gandhinagar Mayor Miraben Patel, Municipal Administration Commissioner Remya Mohan, and officials and staff from various municipal corporations and municipalities across the state. The logo for the ‘My City, My Pride’ campaign was also unveiled during the event.