Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and all establishments under its purview have successfully conducted the sixth edition of the Special Campaign from October 2 to 31, 2026, with active participation of the Defence Forces and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS).
The cleanliness drive was carried out at 8,507 campaign sites identified by the Department. In addition, various organisations simplified a total of 324 rules and processes. The disposal and sale of scrap, including electronic waste, generated revenue of approximately ₹89.68 crore.
As part of the record management initiative, 5,28,443 physical files were reviewed, of which 16,837 were weeded out. This freed up 3,53,291 square feet of space for improvement and alternate use. During the campaign, 2,905 public grievances and 466 public grievance appeals were disposed of, and 91 MP references and four IMC references were responded to.
Several innovative practices emerged. The Indian Air Force Station, Tambaram, in collaboration with a specialised NGO, rejuvenated nine heritage shallow wells, each about 60 to 80 years old. The initiative added a water yield of one lakh litres per day, meeting about 11.1 per cent of the Station’s daily water requirement. In another initiative, INS Shivaji, under the Southern Naval Command, in collaboration with IIT Mumbai, installed a biomass-based gasifier steam cooking system with a foliage processing capacity of one tonne.
During the campaign, the Defence Forces and HQ IDS contributed extensively to promoting cleanliness across military posts, units, stations, establishments and cantonments, while working to reduce pendency in official matters. Special emphasis was placed on timely disposal of public grievances, MP references, Prime Minister’s Office and State Government references, appeals and parliamentary assurances.
The Special Campaign is a government-wide exercise carried out in phases to promote cleanliness in offices and to reduce pending matters. Its focus on disposal of scrap, weeding of old records and simplification of procedures is intended to make offices more efficient and to put unused space to better use. The figures reported by the DMA show the scale of the exercise, with more than five lakh files reviewed and nearly 3.5 lakh square feet of space freed up.
The revenue from scrap disposal, at nearly ₹90 crore, indicates how much unused material accumulates in large establishments such as military stations and cantonments. Weeding out old files also reduces storage costs and fire risks, and allows better record management. The wells at Tambaram and the biomass cooking system at INS Shivaji point to the environmental and resource-saving side of the campaign.
The campaign is the sixth of its kind, and the DMA is expected to continue the practice of regular cleanliness and pendency-reduction drives in future.
