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Clean Sweep: How Modi's Swachhta Drive Earned Rs 800 Crore From Scrap

The Union government has achieved a remarkable financial milestone through its cleanliness initiative. During the month-long swachhta campaign, authorities generated over Rs 800 crore by selling scrap materials from various departments. This massive effort also freed up 232 lakh square feet of office space and cleared 29 lakh physical files that were clogging government operations. The campaign, supervised by three Union Ministers, has become a cornerstone of administrative reform since its inception in 2021.

Key Points: Government Earns Rs 800 Crore From Scrap in Cleanliness Drive

  • Record Rs 800 crore earned from scrap sales during month-long cleanliness drive
  • Massive 232 lakh square feet of office space freed up across ministries
  • Campaign cleared 29 lakh physical files and reduced government pendency
  • Three Union Ministers supervised participation from 84 ministries and departments
2 min read

Union government earns about Rs 800 crore from scrap material in nationwide cleanliness drive

Centre's month-long swachhta campaign generated Rs 800 crore from scrap sales, cleared 232 lakh sq ft office space and 29 lakh files across government departments.

"The campaign has brought visible changes in governance and public services - Dr Jitendra Singh"

New Delhi, Nov 9

In a remarkable outcome of the Centre’s month-long swachhta campaign, the government has generated over Rs 800 crore by selling scraps from various ministries/departments.

The drive, conducted from October 2 to 31, was the largest since the initiative began in 2021, freeing up a record 232 lakh square feet of office space and clearing 29 lakh physical files, according to officials.

As per reports, nearly 11.58 lakh office sites were covered under the campaign, coordinated by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG).

Three Union Ministers — Mansukh Mandaviya, K. Ram Mohan Naidu, and Dr Jitendra Singh — supervised the massive inter-ministerial effort that saw participation from 84 ministries and departments, including India’s missions abroad, said officials.

The annual cleanliness and efficiency campaign, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Swachhata and good governance, has now become a cornerstone of administrative reform.

Since its inception, the government has earned nearly Rs 4,100 crore by selling scrap material and obsolete assets.

Between 2021 and 2025, five editions of the campaign have helped institutionalise cleanliness and streamline administration. The cumulative achievements include the coverage of 23.62 lakh offices, clearance of 166.95 lakh files, and freeing up 928.84 lakh square feet of space.

This year’s edition also focused on reducing pendency in government work.

Cabinet ministers personally reviewed progress and interacted with officials to ensure targets were met. Regular review meetings were held to track the disposal of pending files and grievances.

Last month, Union Minister Singh said that the government generated Rs 3,296.71 crore from the disposal of e-waste and scrap, while more than 696.27 lakh sq. ft. of office space has been cleared and put to productive use over the last four years.

Speaking at the launch of the “Special Swachhta Campaign 5.0” at Nehru Park in the national capital, Dr Singh said the campaign has brought visible changes in governance and public services.

He emphasised that during earlier stages of the campaign, more than 12.04 lakh cleanliness sites nationwide had been cleaned and more than 137.86 lakh outdated files had been removed.

For their part in attaining these outcomes, the minister commended the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) as well as other departments.

He also took part in the event's weeding out of outdated files, a plantation drive under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" initiative, and Shramdaan activities.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
While I appreciate the cleanliness drive, I hope this money is properly accounted for and used for public welfare. Sometimes these big numbers don't translate to actual benefits for common people.
A
Arjun K
232 lakh square feet of space cleared! That's massive. Imagine how much taxpayer money was being wasted on maintaining all that clutter. This is real administrative reform in action.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has visited government offices, I can see the difference. The cleanliness and organization have improved significantly. Hope this becomes a permanent culture rather than just a campaign.
V
Vikram M
₹4100 crore total from scrap since 2021? That's almost the budget of a small state! This shows the scale of inefficiency that existed. Better late than never, but we need to ensure this doesn't accumulate again.
M
Michael C
The environmental aspect is equally important. Proper disposal of e-waste and scrap material prevents pollution. Hope they're following proper recycling protocols and not just dumping somewhere else.
A
Ananya R
Clearing 29 lakh physical files and reducing pendency is the real achievement. Now citizens might get faster responses and services. That's what good governance should be about! 👍

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