'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' a mass movement, says PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" (clean India mission) is not a government programme but a mass movement.

Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on motion of thanks to the President's address, Modi said: "Cleanliness should become a mass movement. Ever since we have started an independent rating system, cities and districts are gearing up to be cleaner than others."

He urged the countrymen to create healthy competitions on cleanliness and take the movement forward.

"An atmosphere of competition is to be created. It's not a government programme. It's a mass movement," he said.

The Prime Minister said poor sanitation invites huge economic implications.

Small countries like Mauritius could be our role models in this regard, he added.

Modi also appreciated country's media for taking the programme to the masses.