Shimla, July 23 -- Himachal Pradesh governor Kavinder Gupta on Wednesday stressed on the need of greater public participation to achieve TB Free Himachal. Gupta reviewed the implementation of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 at Lok Bhavan. The Governor said that eliminating tuberculosis was not the sole responsibility of the health department but a people's movement requiring active participation from every section of society. During the review meeting, deputy mission director, National Health Mission, Himachal Pradesh and state TB Officer, Dr Rajesh Guleria, shared that sustained efforts under the TB control programme had led to a decline in the number of TB cases from 15,455 in 2024 to 14,636 in 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of the state's intervention strategies. The meeting was also informed that the 100-day "TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2.0" was launched by Union minister for health and family welfare JP Nadda on March 24. Under the campaign, 5,147 high-risk villages were identified in Himachal, of which 2,547 villages (49%) have already been covered through Ayushman Arogya Camps. Through these camps, nearly 1.85 lakh people belonging to high-risk groups have been screened using AI-enabled handheld X-ray technology, facilitating early detection of tuberculosis and timely treatment. The governor was further informed that under the TB-Free Gram Panchayat Initiative, 731 gram panchayats were declared TB-free in 2023, 823 in 2024, and 1,052 in 2025, indicating steady progress towards the elimination of the disease. He directed the National Health Mission and the health department to ensure greater involvement of public representatives in Ayushman Arogya Camps and intensify awareness campaigns encouraging people, particularly those in high-risk groups, to undergo timely TB screening, especially chest X-ray examinations....