Total sanitation programme across country to be taken up: Minister

Pune, Apr 22 (UNI) A total sanitation programme across the country will be taken up, putting India among the developed nations by 2020, informed Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh here today.

Speaking at the distribution of Sant Gadgebaba Gram Swachyata Abhiyan (SGGSA) Awards function, the Minister said rural areas must develop and the UPA Government was focussing on unemployment and poverty in rural areas through various programmes and schemes.

Cleanliness and a total sanitation programme will be taken up through women's self-help groups.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said it was important to take part in competitions and bring up the level of awareness. He said all forms of diseases would be contained through the programmes. State rural development minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil said cleanliness must be given priority.

Earlier, the Union Mininster at a review meeting under the Prime Minister Sadak Yojana and National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes(NREGS), asked district collectors and officials to utilise funds of Rs 116 crore. Of the 200 districts selected under the NREGS, 12 are in Maharashtra. Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar said the cleanliness drive must cover cities. While, villages have gone ahead with the total sanitation programme it would be the state governments endeavour to take the drive and cover Maharashtra under the scheme by end of 2007, he added.

A special award ''Swachyata Dhoot''was given to Mr B C Khatwa.

While the grampanchayats of Ghamner in Satara District and Vakana in Buldhana were given the first prize of Rs 15 lakh each under the SGGSA at the hands of Union Minister, followed by grampanchyats of Mahalunge in Thane district, Bhilawadi Station in Sangli District and Shelgaon Gauri in Nanded for the second prize comprising Rs 10 lakh each and the third position for Rs 6 lakh to grampanchayats of Borandiwadi in Osmanabad, Nashirpur in Amravati and Amgaon in Gondia District.

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