Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: PM Modi receives Goalkeepers award

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded with the prestigious Goalkeepers Award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his government's initiative towards clean sanitation in India.

Goalkeepers is the foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards sustainable development goals.

PM Narendra Modi has been given the award for his contribution in bringing a change under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. 

"This honour is not mine but of the crores of Indians who not only fulfilled the Swachh Bharat dream but also made it a part of their daily lives," Modi said on accepting the award.

“In the last five years a record more than 11 crore toilets were constructed. If this mission has benefited someone the most it is the poor of this country and the women,” he said.

A statement from the foundation says, “Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do… The Swachh Bharat Mission can serve as a model for other countries around the world that urgently need to improve access to sanitation for the world’s poorest.”