Govt's scrap sale outshines Chandrayaan-3, rakes in crores

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : The central government has earned nearly ₹800 crore from the sale of scrap from various ministries and departments as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This has also freed up approximately 2.32 million square feet of office space.

According to officials, the nearly month-long cleanup drive (October 2 to 31) freed up a record 2.32 million square feet of office space and removed nearly 2.9 million physical files. The cleanup drive in government offices began in 2021. Since then, the government has earned approximately ₹4,100 crore by selling junk and obsolete assets.

According to reports, around 11.58 lakh office sites were covered under the campaign and it was coordinated by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG). Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for cleanliness and good governance, the annual cleanliness and efficiency campaign has now become the cornerstone of administrative reforms. Officials said three Union ministers – Mansukh Mandaviya, K. Ram Mohan Naidu and Dr. Jitendra Singh – oversaw this massive inter-ministerial effort, in which 84 ministries and departments, including Indian missions abroad, participated.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign "Special Swachhta Abhiyan 5.0" at Nehru Park in the national capital last month, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said the campaign has brought about visible changes in governance and public services. The government has earned Rs 3,296.71 crore from the sale of e-waste and scrap, while over 696.27 lakh square feet of office space has been cleaned and put to use in the last four years. He informed that during the previous phases of the campaign, over 137.86 lakh old files have been removed and over 12.04 lakh spaces have been cleaned across the country.