Swachh Mission: States like Bihar, UP yet to pick up momentum
New Delhi, Oct 1: Describing Swachh Bharat as the "mother of all missions" launched by the NDA government, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said though there has been progress in construction of individual toilets, some major states like UP and Bihar are yet to pick up momentum.
Naidu also noted that toilet construction under the mission is yet to begin in five Union Territories, including Delhi.
"Swachh Bharat initiative is different from others in the sense that this targets the minds of people while others seek to meet the needs already felt in the minds of the people," Naidu told reporters on the occasion of completion of one year of the Mission.
He said the initiative is unique in nature and more challenging since it aims at creating demand for sanitary services and infrastructure, and involves behaviour changes.
As per the target of construction of 25 lakh household toilets in urban areas till March 2016 under the Mission, construction of 16.45 lakh toilets has been taken up and 4.65 lakh toilets have already been built.
"The physical performance in respect of Mission targets in urban areas over the last one year has been encouraging. Based on reports received till August this year, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana have performed well in construction of individual household toilets," Naidu said.
He, however, said, "Some major states like UP, Bihar and Tamil Nadu are still to pick up momentum in this regard" and added, "Construction is still to begin in Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Delhi and four North-Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura besides Kerala and Tamil Nadu."
Under Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, construction of 1.04 crore household toilets and 5.28 lakh community and public toilet seats besides 100 per cent door to door collection of solid waste and its scientific disposal are envisaged at a total cost of Rs 66,009 crore.
UD Ministry has so far released Rs 1038.72 crore to 30 states and Union Territories. Manipur and five UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshdweep are yet to be released funds.
PTI