Patna, Jan 22: Urban Development department in Patna launched cleanliness drive by announcing penalty of 500 rupees for throwing garbage on road.

About eight city roads are under notification. It would become difficult for the second time offenders, the authorities deciding to start legal proceedings under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Urban Development Minister of the city however said that the objective of the drive is not to punish the offenders but just to make them aware of their duties as citizen.

"The main objective of this drive is that people should get aware about their responsibilities and about their duties toward public conveniences. Punishing people for throwing garbage is not our objective. Our objective is to motivate and encourage people. And for this objective we have just shown them a sour medicine but not made them have it yet," said Bhola Singh, Urban Development Minister.

Residents are also delighted with the cleanliness drive and believe that it would definitely make the city clean and beautiful.

"The initiative taken by government of throwing garbage at one place is really good. The biggest advantage is that garbage of the entire city would be assembled at one place. And the cleanliness campaign that would run in Patna would help in maintaining cleanliness.," said C S Jasan, a resident.

"The initiative taken by government for cleanliness is to make Patna clean and beautiful. Every citizen in Patna must take care that they don''t throw garbage anywhere," said Naveen Kumar, another resident.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also been instructed to identify garbage points from where the deputed officials would be lifting garbage at regular intervals.

The department has run advertisements in newspapers stating the warning and has also advised shopkeepers and residents to keep dustbins around them. PMC officials would either pick the garbage collected by them or they can dump it at the identified garbage points. (ANI)