PANAJI
The teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools and offices of the Education Department will have to compulsorily attend the Union Government’s ‘Swachhata Pakhwada “ Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2023’ mission on Sunday, October 1.
On Monday October 2, the schools will be having a small function and their annual activity -- the cleanliness drive.
Despite the Circular stating voluntary participation, sources confirmed to The Goan that attendance is mandatory.
“This rule is applicable to all department staff, including those in zonal offices; and both the teaching and non-teaching staff in primary to higher secondary schools. This rule is not limited to schools alone but it extends to the Secretariat and all government offices,” the source revealed.
It is also learnt the activity will last for 1-2 hours, and each office will need to select a specific area in their respective schools/offices, for conducting the cleanliness drive.
On Thursday, the Directorate of Education announced the cleanliness drive as it called for volunteers’ contribution for at least one hour, as per the pan-India drive to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of his birth.
“Identify field units on the ground where the cleanliness events will be executed on October 1, 2023. A senior level officer/ head of the school shall be overall incharge of the event. Each field unit should create cleanliness events on the Citizens Portal. Each Department/sub-ordinate office/school should identify sites for these events (cleanliness drive) and at least one site per office/school should be selected as one unit,” reads the crucial three points in the circular issued by Education Director Shailesh Zingde.
Zingde has also urged all the heads of the government, government-aided, unaided primary-to-higher secondary and special schools to execute the event “in its true spirit, and that there must be an actual cleaning drive resulting in visible cleanliness.”
