UP already running "Clean, Green and Healthy UP" programme: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow, Nov 11: On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi nominated him for 'Swachh Bharat' campaign, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said the State Government was already running "Clean, Green and Healthy UP" programme and there was need to run such campaign on all India level.

"The State Government is committed to promote cleanliness. To make cleanliness wider and integrated it is necessary to associate it with environment conservation and health awareness," Yadav was quoted as saying in an official statement issued here.

"With this is view, the state government is running 'clean, green and healthy campaign'. On this line there is a need to run 'clean, green and healthy India campaign' so that along with cleanliness nation wide awareness can be created on environment conservation and health," he added.

Earlier, on the second day of visit to his Parliamentary constituency, the PM in Varanasi had said that like in Delhi, where he had launched the campaign by nominating nine celebrities, he had chosen an equal number of renowned persons in UP to carry forward the drive.

The nine persons named by him included the CM Akhilesh Yadav, party MP and Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari, Sufi singer Kailash Kher, stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava and cricketers Suresh Raina and Mohammed Kaif.

However, when asked by the reporters about his nomination by Modi in Varanasi to join cleanliness drive, Akhilesh only smiled and left.

The spokesman said that the State Government has decided to develop Lucknow and Agra as cycle-friendly cities.
He said it has also been decided that Noida and Greater Noida would also be developed as cycle-friendly area under which cycle tracks, stands and shelters would be constructed.

The spokesman said promoting cycle would not only help in controlling pollution, but would also promote healthy lifestyle.
He said that a scheme to plant sapling on the area of 50 acre or more land to develop green belt at different places in every district was already being implemented.

He said that to increase green cover 5.68 crore saplings were planted 67,600 acre area in the year 2013-14.

(PTI)