GTA clean drive

Vivek Chhetri, Darjeeling, Oct. 12: The GTA Sabha has decided to direct its elected members and employees to put in 100 hours every year for cleaning of government offices and their locality to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Sources said GTA chief executive 

Bimal Gurung had taken the decision to direct the hill body’s elected members and employees to devote at least two hours a week to the cleaning. 

The 100-hour per year cleaning campaign is likely to be announced at the 103rd death anniversary programme of Sister Nivedita which will be held at the Gorkha Rangmanch Bhavan in Darjeeling tomorrow. 

Gurung, however, will be absent from tomorrow’s event because of a death in his family. Sources said Gurung’s message announcing the GTA’s cleaning initiative was likely to be read out at the event. 

“Gurung wants consistency in the campaign and not just a one-off cleaning drive. He is committed to making the GTA a model in implementing Modi’s initiative,” said the source.

Observers believe the GTA plan is aimed at not only cleaning the hills but also impressing Modi.iv