Bhubaneswar, June 18: The civic body is set to face a tough time with the Union ministry of urban development directing all civic bodies to remove and erase sketches, photos, logos and pictures of Mahatma Gandhi from dustbins, toilets and other such "filthy places".

The Union ministry has come up with a rigorous guideline for the same following a judgment of Chhattisgarh High Court, which stated: "It is Mahatma Gandhi who said 'cleanliness is next to godliness'. It is Mahatma Gandhi who launched the movement for emancipation of scavengers. It is he himself who cleaned his own toilet."

"Therefore, we are not against using the name of Mahatma Gandhi for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. While his name and the symbols which are associated with his name may be used for the said purpose. But they should not be used in such a manner that it causes disrespect of the father of the nation," the judgment reads.

The judgment comes following a public interest litigation field by Badruddin Qureshi at Chhattisgarh High Court.

The city administrations use the name and belongings of Mahatma Gandhi at various places as a tool of awareness under the Swachh Bharat Mission. But, the judgment forces all civic bodies to remove the images and logos associated with Mahatma Gandhi from places such as toilets.

The guideline of the Union ministry states that the sketches, pictures, logos of Mahatma Gandhi or those of his belongs, such as glass, charkha, stick and watch, should not displayed on the walls of public toilets, waste bins and "filthy places" during the Swachh Bharat campaigns.

However, watermark of the mission's logo on the official stationary and poster or wall hangings of the logo in the corridors should be allowed. Besides, the civic body now has to remove the pictures, photographs, printed materials in a manner without reducing the utility or availability of the public service equipment and facilities.

"We have received the guideline from the Centre, which also designated a nodal officer for implementation of the decision. We will convene a meeting with all urban local bodies of the state and district collectors concerned and swing into action to remove the logos," said an official of the housing and urban development department.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, however, is yet to be notified of the development.

"The government has not communicated with us regarding this yet. We are not aware of the judgment. However, we will abide by the decision. We need to get the order from the government after which we will come up with a plan to implement it," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Patia resident Nirakar Mohanty said it was a good decision to remove the belongings of Mahatma Gandhi from the Swachh Bharat Mission.