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| By Santosh H K Narayan |
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Saturday, August 23, 2008 (00:18:50) |
| Tags : Sanitation, Rural Development, Raguvansh Prasad |
India is ahead of Millennium Development Goal: Raghuvansh |
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New Delhi: Citing the success of Total Sanitation Scheme, the flagship programme for ensuring complete sanitation in rural areas, Union Minister for Rural Development Raguvansh Prasad Singh on Friday said that the initiative was way ahead of the Millennium Development Goal set by the United Nations. Highlighting the progress made in this field, he said that in 1981 only one per cent of the rural houses had toilets, whereas now the figure has reached 56 per cent.
"We are committed to achieve 100 per cent rural sanitation by the end of 2012 and we are progressing very well. The target is to make 1,20,000 latrines every year and establishing Nirmal Bharat (pure India) is well within the reach," he said.
The Government has increased the budget for making the toilet facility in very rural household from existing Rs 1500 to Rs 2500. The Centre would provide cash incentive of Rs 1500 while the state will provide Rs 700. The remaining Rs 300 has to be contributed by the beneficiary.
The Minister also told about the encouragements provided to Panchayats, Blocks and Districts for achieving total sanitation and said that contribution from every sector was required for making the programme a success. Government has instructed all schools to ensure toilet facility by the end of the year.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi who had said 'sanitation is more important than independence', the Minister said that his ministry had instructed state governments to bar those from contesting Panchayat elections who do not have toilet in their house and make necessary provisions in the law for that. However, till now, only Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim have made such law.
The Central outlay for the programme in the 11th Plan is Rs 7816 crore and 10 per cent of it is allocated to solid and liquid waste disposal. The Minister said that new 'twin-pit water seal' technology will be used to deal with the shortage of water. The Indian Institute of Technology and some non-governmental organisations are coming-up with innovative techniques like separating liquid from faeces. Right now, per capita availability of water is 40 liter in rural areas.
The Ministry, apart from roping in spiritual leaders to pursue people to use proper toilet, has also launched a scheme to pay money for using toilets rather than charging. The facility has been started in a Panchayat of Tamil Nadu. |
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