Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Instructs Collectors To Ensure Temple Cleanliness Ahead of Ayodhya Ceremony

Ahead of the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration on January 22, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed district collectors across the state to launch a week-long temple cleanliness drive, ensuring visible progress by next week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to keep temples clean. The district collectors in Maharashtra should undertake a cleanliness drive across all the temples and decorate them with electric lights. The change should be visible within a week, Shinde said.

To ensure long-term maintenance, Shinde also called for establishing a dedicated budget line within the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) for regular temple upkeep. DPDCs should allocate appropriate funds for cleaning temples and their surroundings, and a special scheme can be devised for sustained efforts, he added.

To oversee the drive’s effective implementation, Shinde instructed the state revenue department to appoint a nodal officer for monitoring purposes.