As advised by the Centre, the State Government has decided to develop a convergence mechanism for implementation of health, sanitation and livelihood programmes jointly in the urban zones.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi has asked concerned officials to form a State level Common Coordination Committee (CCC) and similar structures at district, town and ward level for the purpose. He has directed Health and Family Welfare and Urban Development departments to chalk out a convergence strategy for taking up joint initiatives through the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), National Urban livelihood Mission (NUlM) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
According to the decision, a clear cut roadmap would be in place soon in consultation with all stakeholders, said sources. While the NUHM works for primary healthcare, the NUlM aims to reduce poverty and the SBM is objected at bringing sanitation. When all these schemes are being implemented in a disjointed manner, the Union Government has decided to implement them in tandem for effective utilisation of funds and better results.
Ministry of Health Joint Secretary K Rajeswar Rao, Ministry of Urban Development Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash and Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar have jointly written to the State Government in this regard under the National Health Policy-2017, which focuses on organised sanitation drives around the urban health facilities. According to SBM norms, every 50,000 population would be covered by the facilities involving urban health mechanism. When implemented together, the three schemes would effectively work to provide better healthcare, sanitation and livelihood to slum dwellers and other urban poor.
While the State level CCC would provide a roadmap, district, city and ward level committees would shoulder the responsibility of proper implementation of the programmes, said sources in the Urban Development Department.