Best Out Of Waste: Centre Earns Rs 3,300-Crore Revenue From Disposal Of Office Waste

Ever since 2021, when the central government began orchestrating cleanliness campaigns across the country, it has collected a cumulative revenue of close Rs 3,300 crore via the disposal of office waste in these campaigns.

Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh on Tuesday introduced a web portal for the upcoming fifth edition of special campaign, aimed at further institutionalising cleanliness or swachhata and reducing uncertainty across government offices.

Highlighting the achievements of the campaign over the last five years, the minister said that a cumulative revenue of Rs 3,296.71 crore has been generated through the disposal of office waste, which also resulted in the freeing of 696.27 lakh sq ft of office space across ministries and departments.

In addition, 12.04 lakh cleanliness sites were identified and 137.86 lakh files were closed or weeded out, thereby creating both financial and administrative efficiency, he said.

Calling it a “hallmark of the government that foundational issues have been brought into focus”, Singh said the special campaign reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of not only promoting cleanliness but also enhancing administrative productivity.

The minister informed that the special campaign 5.0 will be conducted in two phases this year — the preparatory phase from September 16 to 30, followed by the implementation phase from October 2 to 31.

A third-party evaluation will be undertaken from November 15-30 to assess the qualitative impact and sustainability of the measures adopted, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Weekly reviews will be carried out by all secretaries and nodal officers, and consolidated reports will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

V Srinivas, Secretary DARPG, underlined the scale of achievements under the campaign, noting the freeing of 696.27 lakh sq ft of office space and identification of 12.04 lakh cleanliness sites, while stressing the institutionalisation of swachhata as a governance priority.

The campaign's thrust areas will be closely monitored through a single digital platform.

It will include systematic e-waste disposal — covering unserviceable computers, laptops, printers, LEDs, and e-display boards; timely disposal of pending matters such as MPs’ references, Parliamentary assurances and PMO references, as well as state government references; effective resolution of public grievances and improvement in record management practices; and comprehensive office cleanliness drives coupled with space optimisation to ensure efficiency and sustainability in government functioning.

Several ministries and departments also presented their achievements under previous campaigns.

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, highlighted that through the Vidyanjali portal, the Cabinet Secretariat donated digital devices to schools, including 100 monitors, 100 CPUs, 88 keyboards, and 117 pieces of computer mouse, the statement said.

At the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) headquarters alone, 1,44,337 sq ft of space was freed through scrap disposal and file weeding.

"The initiative is now being scaled up to cover 14.71 lakh schools across India," Kumar said.

Aruna Nayar, Secretary, Railway Board, informed that under the last special campaign 4.0, Indian Railways installed 3,33,191 bio-toilets in passenger coaches, 19 waste-to-energy plants, 234 waste-to-compost plants, 142 sewage treatment plants, 86 effluent treatment plants, and 203 material recovery facilities.

The Railways also collaborated with municipal bodies for effective local waste disposal, enforced a ban on single-use plastic, and installed plastic bottle crushing machines at 531 stations.

Additionally, two-bin dustbins for waste segregation were placed at 725 locations.

Sanoj Kumar Jha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, said that innovative ideas were implemented in public service delivery, such as Samadhan Kendras and Information Kiosks.

Field offices have also been made single-use plastic free (eliminating plastic bottles, glasses, folders, and cups), while freed-up space from scrap and waste is being utilized efficiently, thereby bringing about perceptible changes in citizen and stakeholder experiences, Jha said.

Concluding the session, Minister Singh emphasised that the upcoming special campaign 5.0 is not only about cleanliness, but also about creating a larger socio-economic impact and transforming governance through efficient record management, optimal space utilisation, and sustainability of reforms.

(With PTI inputs)