Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Shri Manohar Lal, chaired a review meeting on the progress of Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBM-U) in Chandigarh on August 30, 2026. The meeting was attended by senior officials including Home Secretary-cum-Secretary, Local Government, UT Chandigarh, Mandip Singh Brar; Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, Amit Kumar; Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, Nishant Yadav; Special Commissioner, MCC, Harpreet Singh Sudan; along with senior officers of Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation, and senior government officials from MoHUA including Director, SBM-U, Surabhi Malik and Advisor, CPHEEO, Ankit Jain.
The Minister directed fast-tracking of Aspirational Toilet construction while ensuring all existing community and public toilet facilities are regularly monitored, maintained, and kept fully functional and accessible to the public at all times. He reviewed preparations for the upcoming 15-day Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign, emphasizing that the Swachhata Pakhwada must actively engage citizens in every initiative. The Minister highlighted that citizens are the true custodians of Swachhata and their feedback must be heard and acted upon with utmost seriousness.
He directed that all processing facilities, waste collection vehicles, and government offices must be cleaned thoroughly, drawing analogy to how homes are readied before Diwali, so that every element associated with swachhata reflects renewed commitment. The Minister advocated for cross-learning among Urban Local Bodies, pointing to best practices from Integrated Command and Control Centres where AI and digital tools are used to track vehicles, capture real-time data and derive smart solutions.
The Union Minister specifically directed that a structured city-to-city learning mechanism be institutionalized, enabling knowledge sharing of processes, facilities, and innovations. Cities showcasing best practices should be made accessible to others for streamlining processes across various cities. Expressing satisfaction with Chandigarh's progress under SBM-U 2.0, the Minister reiterated that beyond achieving swachhata, the greater responsibility lies in sustaining and continuously improving it.