Indore, Jan 5 (PTI) A week ahead of the National Cleanliness Survey award ceremony, Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday claimed Indore has been chosen as the country's cleanest city for the seventh consecutive time.

He hailed the efforts of the mayor, citizens and civic staffers for the feat.

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"Indore has come out number 1 in cleanliness for the seventh consecutive time," Vijayvargiya told reporters here.

There was healthy competition among the cities of the country to clinch the top ranking and Surat in Gujarat had worked hard but Indore won the race, he claimed.

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According to Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner Harshika Singh the state government has received a formal letter in which Indore is also named among the cities to be awarded by President Draupadi Murmu at the National Sanitation Survey award ceremony to be held in the national capital on January 11.

But the ranking of the cities in the survey has not been officially declared yet, Singh said.

Indore remains a torch bearer in the country in terms of cleanliness due to efficient implementation of the '3R' (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) model of waste management, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)