Jaipur, May 30 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on Saturday that civic body employees play a pivotal role in realising the vision of ‘Viksit Rajasthan 2047’ and stressed that honesty, transparency and timely public service are the true foundations of good governance.

Addressing the ninth Grand Convention of the Rajasthan Municipal Employees Federation at the Rajasthan International Centre (RIC) in Jaipur, the Chief Minister urged the civic body employees to maintain integrity in public service and remain free from corrupt practices.

Chief Minister Sharma said the state government follows a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and is guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principle of “Na khaonga na khane doonga (Neither will take bribes nor will allow others to take it)”.

Highlighting the state government’s ‘anti-corruption’ measures, he added that 103 government officials have been suspended, six dismissed from service and pensions of 11 officials permanently withheld over corruption charges.

He said that prosecution sanctions have been granted in 108 cases involving bribery, misuse of official position and disproportionate assets, while action has been initiated in 37 additional cases under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Chief Minister added that cleanliness and quality civic amenities define a city’s identity and credited civic body employees as the backbone of urban sanitation and public services.

Referring to Swachh Survekshan 2025, Chief Minister Sharma noted that Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation secured the 16th rank nationally among cities with population above one million, while Udaipur ranked 13th among cities with population between three lakh and one million.

“Our goal is to make Rajasthan’s cities national leaders in cleanliness,” he said.

Chief Minister Sharma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission has evolved into a nationwide people’s movement, significantly improving sanitation practices and enhancing dignity through household toilet construction.

He also highlighted urban infrastructure development under the Smart Cities Mission and emphasised the state government’s focus on water conservation and environmental sustainability.

The Chief Minister said the state is running the Vande Ganga Water Conservation and Public Campaign this year with community participation.

Under the Hariyalo Rajasthan initiative, nearly 200 million saplings have already been planted, while the state government has set a target of planting another 100 million seedlings this year.

He added that Rajasthan will also develop sandalwood forests for the first time.

Chief Minister Sharma said the state government is advancing with a focus on technology, transparency and accountability to build clean, organised and modern urban centres.

Under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, he added, 363 projects worth Rs 11,560 crore are being implemented across 200 cities and towns.

The Rajasthan government has also introduced the Township Policy 2024 to support planned urban growth and strengthen sanitation and solid waste management systems.

Highlighting the role of civic body employees in the state, Chief Minister Sharma said they remain the public’s most direct point of contact, providing essential services such as sanitation, drinking water, roads, sewerage, park maintenance, firefighting and birth and death registration.

“With rapid urbanisation, the role of municipal bodies will become even more critical in the coming years,” he added, urging civic body employees to contribute with dedication and a spirit of service.

The Chief Minister also highlighted progress in infrastructure, energy and employment generation, saying that projects in the water and power sectors are being implemented across Rajasthan.

Under the Rising Rajasthan initiative, MoUs worth nearly Rs 9 lakh crore have reportedly materialised.

He also said the state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and an Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), curbed paper leak incidents, and continued providing employment opportunities to youth.

Earlier, Chief Minister Sharma released the Employees’ Welfare Souvenir.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary said that Rajasthan is being led by a “son of the soil” and a farmer’s son (referring to Chief Minister Sharma), adding that the state government has taken several welfare measures for farmers in addition to assistance provided under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Urban Development and Local Self-Government, Jhabar Singh Kharra, said the state government, under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s leadership, is working continuously toward good governance, public welfare and infrastructure development across sectors, including water management, energy, youth welfare and employee welfare.

–IANS

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