Jaipur: The Jaipur Municipal Corporation will carry out Operation Clean Sweep 2.0 on Oct 31, with plans to deep clean almost all parts of the city in a single day. However, the exclusion of Ramganj from the drive has raised questions, particularly as several areas of the Walled City were left out of the previous campaign despite the need for cleaning.During the first drive, the mapping of areas in the Walled City did not cover several localities that needed attention. The corporation had then said these areas would be included in the next round. With Diwali approaching, the second drive is being planned to improve cleanliness in the Walled City, but Ramganj has once again been left out. Some councillors have alleged that the selection of areas is unfair.The issue matters as footfall in markets and narrow lanes rises during the festive season, putting additional pressure on sanitation arrangements. Poorly maintained areas can affect residents, shopkeepers and visitors alike. The exclusion of Ramganj has therefore raised questions about how the corporation is deciding which areas need priority cleaning.Mayor Sunil Kothari, however, denied allegations of partiality and said the selection was based on sanitation requirements ahead of Diwali. “We have not been partial. Keeping Diwali in mind, we have selected areas where cleaning was more important. It is wrong to allege that wards are being chosen on the basis of whether they are Hindu or Muslim,” he said.Kothari added that the corporation wanted to cover all wards, but had prioritised the main areas of the Walled City for the festival. “We want to cover all the wards, but given the upcoming Diwali celebrations, we have selected the main areas of the Walled City for now,” he said.The focus will now be on whether the Oct 31 drive addresses the cleaning needs of the selected areas and when the localities left out of the earlier campaign, including Ramganj, will be covered.
