Abhishek Bachchan to be Swachha goodwill ambassador in Maharashtra

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan and Marathi film star Makrand Anaspure are among the nine eminent personalities from Maharashtra who will be the "goodwill ambassadors" of the 'Swachhata Abhiyan' in the state

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan and Marathi film star Makrand Anaspure are among the nine eminent personalities from Maharashtra who will be the "goodwill ambassadors" of the 'Swachhata Abhiyan' in the state.

This was announced by Governor C H Vidyasagar Rao after the launch of the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan in Mantralaya and Raj Bhavan here today.

Abhishek Bachchan and Sunidhi Chauhan

The other goodwill ambassadors include: Director of Aditya Birla Group Rajshree Birla, Nita Ambani, wife of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, shooter Anjali Bhagwat, Monika More, the teenager who lost her arms in a tragic train accident, and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and social reformer Dattatreya Narayan Alias Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. "I am sure their involvement with the campaign will inspire many people to work for cleanliness in the society. We have to turn this campaign into a mass movement," the Governor said.

Nita Ambani. Pic: Suresh KK

Rao stressed the need to sustain the tempo of the movement for cleanliness. "Lot needs to be done, both in Mumbai and Maharashtra to emerge as the cleanest state in the country. Maharashtra has made pioneering efforts in cleanliness campaign in the form of Sant Gadgebaba Abhiyan. We have to give a major impetus to the campaign under the leadership of the Prime Minister," Rao said.

He said focus should be on public places starting with railway stations, hospitals, offices, market places. "I am visiting J J Hospital on 18th October to take part in the cleanliness drive," he said. Rao said he had told the Chief Secretary and the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner to make the campaign participatory and visible.

"I have asked them to involve citizens groups, NGOs in all districts and housing societies in cities in the campaign. I have told them to identify selected public places which need urgent cleaning and lead the effort from the front," he added.