Vadodara, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised the people of Vadodara for turning a city-wide cleanliness campaign into a major public participation initiative ahead of his visit, urging residents to sustain the effort during the upcoming festive season.
Addressing the ‘NaMo 4 Viksit Bharat’ programme at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Modi said he had seen videos of the cleanliness drive and was impressed by the scale of participation across the city.
“I was watching a video yesterday. My chest swelled with pride — wow, my Vadodara!” the Prime Minister said, referring to the ‘Swachhata se Swagat’ campaign undertaken before his arrival.
Modi thanked the residents for the “service-oriented” welcome and said the initiative had created a cleanliness-focused atmosphere in families across Vadodara during the preceding week.
Linking the campaign with the city’s festive calendar, he noted that Ganeshotsav and Navratri would soon be followed by Diwali. “I feel that when Ganeshji comes this time, all the blessings will shower on Vadodara,” he said.
The Prime Minister also urged citizens to make cleanliness a permanent civic responsibility rather than a one-time exercise. In Gujarati, he appealed to residents not to allow the city to become dirty again after the campaign carried out ahead of his visit.
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s drive covered roads and public spaces, lakes, gardens, healthcare and childcare facilities, heritage locations and water bodies. Sanitation workers, citizens, government officials, elected representatives, educational institutions and NGOs participated in the campaign.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said sanitation workers and residents had jointly undertaken cleanliness activities, while 20 lakh saplings were distributed for plantation and other environmental initiatives.
Modi also acknowledged the contribution of sanitation workers and citizens, saying their participation demonstrated how cleanliness itself could become a form of public welcome.
The campaign came ahead of the Prime Minister’s September 8 programme, at which he inaugurated, dedicated and laid foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore. The programme included the completion of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, new railway services, railway capacity expansion, highway projects and Gujarat government initiatives in housing, water supply, urban development and renewable energy.
Vadodara also witnessed extensive public interest in the event’s digital entry system. Free registrations opened on BookMyShow, with all available seats booked within an hour and more than 42,000 applicants subsequently placed on a waiting list.
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