Panchkula (Rural) and Sirsa districts of Haryana were on Saturday declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) at a function in Panchkula near here where Chief Minister, Manohar lal Khattar assured the central government that all districts in the state would be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) by December 2017.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, Narendra Singh Tomar was present on the occasion.
Khattar said State Government is making concerted efforts to achieve the goal of Swachh Bharat Mission in the state and eight more districts would also be declared ODF on November 1, the day when Haryana would begin its Swaran Jayanti celebrations. These districts are Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Karnal, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Hisar and Fatehabad.
He said under Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programme, the State has fixed the target of sex ratio at birth as 950 plus and achieve it in days to come. Haryana has crossed the benchmark of sex ratio as 914 at birth in August 2016.
This could be made possible with the consistent efforts made by the department concerned and support of people, he added.
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar congratulated the Haryana Government for translating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Swachchh Bharat and added that Haryana has taken lead by declaring Panchkula and Sirsa districts as ODF.
He said Haryana is in the process of getting the status of complete ODF state as it has already achieved about 80 per cent of the target.
Tomar said that the pace of Swachchh Bharat Mission is being accelerated in the entire country so as to achieve the desired goal within the stipulated period.
The Union Minister also honourd the panchayats, Sarpanches, Panches, Chairperson and Members of Panchayat Samitis with Swarn Jayanti Swachhta Puraskars.
Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister O. P. Dhankar said Haryana is the first State to have 100 per cent educated panchayats.
He also administered pledge of swachhta (cleanliness) to all the officers, representatives of PRIs and others present on this occasion.