Selling scrap, the Modi government made Rs 1,163 crore, which is equal to the budget of two Chandrayaan-3 missions

The cost of India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission was around Rs 600 crore. It may surprise you to learn that the Narendra Modi administration could have raised the money for two of these missions by selling junk, such as old cars, papers, and office equipment that was condemned.

According to the most recent government data, scrap has brought in around Rs 1,163 crore since October 2021, with a staggering Rs 557 crore being made during a one-month campaign in October of this year. According to the research, since October 2021, an incredible 96 lakh physical files have been eliminated from central government offices, freeing up over 355 lakh square feet of space overall. Office hallways have been cleaned as a result, and vacant space has been used for leisure centers and other beneficial uses.

“Our (Chandrayaan-3) expedition cost around Rs 600 crore, whereas the Russian moon mission, which was failed, cost Rs 16,000 crore. Hollywood movies inspired by space exploration and the moon cost more than Rs 600 crore, as stated earlier this year by Jitendra Singh, the Minister of Space.

The amount of money collected from the sale of scrap, which came directly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, indicates just how significant and extensive the government’s cleaning campaign has been. This campaign has been spearheaded by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

PERSON WHO GOT THE MAXIMUM MONEY?
The Ministry of Railways alone brought in about Rs 225 crore of the Rs 556 crore the government made from the sale of scrap this year. The Ministry of Defence, at Rs 168 crore, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, at Rs 56 crore, and the Ministry of Coal, at Rs 34 crore, were the other top earners. According to the study, of the 164 lakh square feet of total space released this year, the largest amounts were released in the Ministry of Coal (66 lakh square feet), the Ministry of Heavy Industry (21 lakh square feet), and the Ministry of Defence (19 lakh square feet).

Almost 24 lakh files were eliminated this year; the Ministry of External Affairs had the most, with 3.9 lakh files removed, followed by the Department of Military Affairs with 3.15 lakh files. Because of the effectiveness of the cleaning drive, the government’s total e-file adoption rate has increased to about 96%. The program touched around 2.58 lakh office locations this year.

The largest-ever program for swachhata in office spaces in India is the Special Program 3.0, which aims to institutionalize swachhata (cleanliness) and reduce pendency. According to V Srinivas, Secretary of DARPG, the month-long effort, which was carried out in 2,58,673 workplaces in India and overseas, freed up 164 lac square feet of office space, weeded out 24.07 lakh physical files, and generated income of Rs 556.35 million from the disposal of office junk.

“With Ministries/Departments reaching almost 100% objectives in redressing public complaints, records management procedures, and answers to MP referrals, the Special Campaign 3.0 was effective in significantly reducing pendency. Under Prime Minister Modi’s direction, the Council of Ministers and the Secretaries to the Government of India successfully implemented Special Campaign 3.0, and the Swachhata Assessment Report 2023 documents the innovations and best practices in this regard. The government would formalize the Swachhata campaign procedures, allocating three hours a week for Swachhata-related tasks.