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Udupi Nov 23 : To strengthen the ’Swachh Bharat’ initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,As part of the National Cleanliness Drive initiated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2 October 2014, the Bishop of Udupi Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo inaugurated the cleanliness drive on Saturday, 22 November 2014 at 9 am.Mother of Sorrows of Church Udupi Fr Fred Mascarenhas Parish Priest of Udupi welcomed the gathering. Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo Bishop of Udupi Diocese launched the drive.

MLA of Udupi, Pramod Madhwaraj, Vicar General of Udupi Diocese-Msgr. Baptist Menezes, Dean of Udupi Varado-Rev. Fr. Fred Mascarenhas, Corporator of the area-Yashpal Suvarna, Secretary of the Catholic Education Society of Udupi (CESU)-Rev. Fr. Clement Mascarenhas, PRO of Udupi Diocese-Rev. Fr. Denis D’Sa, Rev. Fr. William Martis, Vice President and Secretary of Parish pastoral Council-Boniface D’Souza and Gracian Bothello and other parishioners of Mother of Sorrows Church were present for the cleanliness drive.

Addressing the gathering the Bishop Said that every Indian citizen should take up this noble endeavor and consider it as their duty to keep their surroundings clean. ‘Clean India’ is a beautiful ideal and cleanliness drive should begin with oneself and should spread to the home, neighbourhood and surroundings. There is a need to change the mindset and inculcate the ideal of cleanliness in the minds of children as well as grownups. It is necessary to spread awareness among the people about the need to maintain clean home and equally clean surroundings.

Following a brief welcome address by Rev. Fr. Fred Mascarenhas, Pramod Madhwaraj in his message stressed the importance of the National Cleanliness Drive that was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and made an appeal to the people to keep their city clean. He said that comparatively, the city of Udupi is much cleaner than other cities in Karnataka. In his message, the Bishop said that ‘Clean India’ is a beautiful ideal and cleanliness drive should begin with oneself and should spread to the home, neighbourhood and surroundings.

 There is a need to change the mindset of the people and inculcate the ideal of cleanliness in the minds of children as well as grownups. He further said that while Indians go to foreign countries, they meticulously observe the rules and regulations of those countries especially regarding cleanliness, but once they come back to India they tend to forget the need to keep their surroundings clean. It is necessary to spread awareness among the people about the need to maintain clean home and equally clean surroundings. Rev. Fr. Denis D’Sa compered the brief inaugural programme.

Rev. Fr. Denis D’Sa compered the brief inaugural programme.