Guj CM announces Nirmal Gram Yojana

Rajkot, Dec 29 (UNI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today announced a Nirmal Gram Yojana (cleanliness rural scheme) for the rural masses to ensure safe water, better sanitation practices and clean surroundings.

Addressing a largely attended elected sarpanches and members, Mr Modi called upon them to take this task in the villages to provide basic amenities and ensure for maximum collections of the 'safai-kar' (cleanliness-tax).

Incentives would be given to the villages collecting more than 50 per cent as 'safai-kar', he said.

Mr Modi stressed the need to join more and more villages under this scheme to take up mass awareness programme by the elected members in the villages.

The Gujarat Chief minister empahsised that good quality toilets which would be constructed in all houses, anganwadis and school buildings, falling under areas in the gram panchayats concerned.

He said the villages achieving total sanitation and cleanliness would be eligible for Rs 4 lakh under the Nirmal Gram Award (NGA-population above 5000).

That apart, Rs 20,000 will be given to self-help groups and Rs 10,000 to individuals working with the government in implementing the yojana.

The award will be presented at a function by the President.

The Chief Minister also congratulated 41 villages of the region for electing women sarpanch and members in recently concluded gram panchayat elections.

The women who were elected in the villages, will be provided special care by the state government for their developmental works, he said, adding, this time 33 per cent women were elected in the panchayats elections.

He said his government is planning to set up 'Gram Sachivalaya' in villages, under which five members of the government in each village would help sarpanches and elected members in their administrative and developmental works.

Earlier, Gujarat chief minister gave away cheques and certificates to eleven sarpanches of Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Amreli, Kutchch and Bhavnagar districts.

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