Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to China and the government’s focus on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan found their resonance in Tuesday’s Union Cabinet and Council of Ministers’ meeting, the first since the reshuffle on September 3. Sources said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke about the success of Modi’s visit to China for the ninth BRICS summit that concluded last week. The visit took place after a tug-of-war between the two countries on the Doklam stand-off on the tri-junction of India-China-Bhutan border. It is learnt that Swaraj spoke at length on how the visit has served to better relations between the two countries. She also mentioned the India-US ties. Saturday’s GST council meeting in Hyderabad also came in for a mention at the Cabinet meeting. After the nearly-two-hour-long Cabinet meeting, during which various infrastructure-related decisions were taken, Modi chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers. A presentation on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which Modi had launched on October 2, 2014, was made in the meeting. The government plans to hold another sanitation drive from September 15 to October 2 this year. An hour-long presentation was made on the issue, detailing the role of each department in the programme. The ministers were briefed on their responsibility during this campaign, with the tagline “Swachhata Hi Seva Hai”.
