To encourage people to use toilets, the State Government would provide various agricultural incentives to villages declared as ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF)’ as per the suggestion of the Central Government.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture has written to all the national-level organisations working under the Directorate of Horticulture Mission and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in all States to provide special incentives to ODF villages.
The Centre has also made allocations in the 2016-17 Budget for the purpose.
According to the Centre’s decision, around 1,800 ODF villages of Odisha would get funds under different agriculture scams on a priority basis. Notably, 1,797 villages have been declared as ‘Open Defecation Free’ across the State by end of April this year while a total 287 gram panchayats have been given ‘clean gram panchayat’ status in the past 10 years in the State.
The Union Government is emphasising construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Out of a total 90, 20,107 households, around 28.25 lakh have toilets as of now in the State.
The Government is currently providing Rs 12,000 for construction of toilets per house out of which the Centre’s share is Rs 8,000. The Centre would not provide funds towards toilet construction if the project is delayed beyond 2019.
The Centre has provided Rs 2387.36 crore to Odisha under Rashtriya Krishi Viaksh Yojana (RKVY) during the period from 2007-08 to 2014-15. The State was provided Rs 292 crore under the scheme last year.
Similarly, Rs 213.72 crore has been given to the State under ATMA scheme from 2010-11 FY to 2015-16 FY.