Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Thursday called for transforming the implementation of Swachchh Bharat Mission from the existing ‘Sarkari’ (Governmental) manner to an ‘Asarkari’ (effective) manner.
Speaking at the first meeting of the sub-group of Chief Ministers on Swachchh Bharat Mission at New Delhi on Thursday, he said, “I opined that apart from Government officers, panches, sarpanches, legislators, social and political leaders, religious gurus could also play a major role in transforming this thought and make Swachchh Bharat a mass movement.”
The Chief Minister suggested for the setting up of a separate Sub Mission for peri-urban and urban areas where urbanisation happens at a fast pace but usually there is neither a Panchayat nor a municipal body to look after their sanitation needs.
The municipal bodies are usually very reluctant to provide sanitation and water services in slums and unauthorised colonies. A missionary approach to creating a clean India requires that full attention is paid to these deprived areas. We could also consider earmarking of certain percentage of funds under SBM (Urban) for slums, he added.
Emphasising the need for breaking the "silos", in which bureaucracies naturally think and work for the success of any "mission”, the Chief Minister also highlighted a few challenges which must be addressed for accomplishing Swacch Bharat Mission.
He said that this Mission officially has two sub missions- Swachchh Bharat Mission (Gramin) for villages and Swachchh Bharat Mission (Urban) for urban areas.
The Chief Minister suggested that central assistance for individual latrines should be given at par at least for slums, peri-urban areas and those where sewerage system is not available. Presently, Central assistance for individual latrines is Rs12000 under SBM-G; it is only Rs4000 under SBM-U.
The Chief Minister said that financial cap for Solid and liquid Waste Management project under SBM-G should also be made flexible. Excess funds can be made available through Swachchh Bharat Kosh set up by the Centre for this purpose. At present, the admissible cost under SBM-G that is Rs7 lakh to Rs20 lakh.
He said that operation and maintenance cost should also be included in the project cost under the Gramin Sub-Mission. He also pointed out the need for promoting innovations under the Mission. Dedicated funds for innovation and piloting new technologies which are cost effective, sustainable and ecologically safe should be created.
The CM added that Haryana have already achieved 86 per cent coverage of Individual Household latrines in rural areas. “We are mobilising funds under Corporate Social Responsibility for construction of toilets in the schools and are on track to construct separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools by June, 2015,” he added.