A month-long cleanliness and efficiency campaign by the Narendra Modi government has generated ₹800 crore from selling scrap and outdated materials in October 2025 alone an amount higher than the ₹615 crore spent on India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, according to a News18 report.
The revenue was collected under the Centre’s annual Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters, aimed at decluttering offices, removing obsolete files, and turning waste into productive assets. The October 2025 drive became the largest scrap monetisation campaign so far, officials said.
Record space freed, record money earned
Held between October 2–31, the campaign covered 11.58 lakh government offices, including ministries, public sector units and Indian missions abroad. During the exercise:
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232 lakh sq ft of office space was freed
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29 lakh physical files were removed, digitised, or closed
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Scrap materials and unused assets were auctioned, earning the government ₹800 crore
The initiative was coordinated by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG) and monitored by Union ministers including Mansukh Mandaviya, K. Ram Mohan Naidu, and Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Five campaigns, ₹4,097 crore earned since 2021
This marks the fifth consecutive year of the scrap disposal campaign. Since 2021, the cumulative impact has been significant:
| Campaign period (2021–2025) | Achievements |
| Offices covered | 23.62 lakh |
| Office space freed | 928.84 lakh sq ft |
| Old files disposed/closed | 166.95 lakh |
| Revenue generated from scrap | ₹4,097.24 crore |
Officials say the effort is not merely about cleaning spaces it is streamlining administrative efficiency and cutting bureaucratic backlog.
Modi’s push for “clean governance, efficient governance”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly urged ministries to continue maintaining cleanliness and clearing pendency throughout the year instead of treating the campaign as a one-off exercise.
The government is positioning the programme as a sustained reform to improve public service delivery, reduce inefficiencies and promote “swachhata” at every governance level.
With ₹800 crore generated from scrap in just one month, the Centre’s waste-to-revenue strategy has drawn attention not only for its financial gains but also for outperforming the cost of one of India’s biggest scientific achievements the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which cost ₹615 crore.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
