With the deadline of October 2019 for achieving targets for making India free from open defecation approaching fast, the Government has sped up the swachchhta activities with as many as 71 Ministries/Departments earmarking nearly Rs 16.5 thousand crores for cleanliness programmes within their own spheres for fiscal 2018-19.
This earmarking is over and above the budget of Ministries in-charge of sanitation in the country, i.e. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), said an official from the Ministry here.
The Swachchhta Action Plan (SAP) 2018-19 was launched by the Cabinet Secretary, PK Sinha at a meeting of Union Secretaries and senior officials recently.
The SAP Compendium 2018-19 was also released on the occasion. Several Ministries are in the process of increasing their commitment of funds, the official added.
Swachhata Action Plan (SAP) is a part of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s vision that Swachchhta has to be everyone’s business in order for the nation to realize its collective vision of a Clean India. “This inter-ministerial collaborative project commenced in April 2017, whereby Ministries and Departments were advised to go beyond business as usual and implement innovative and outcome-based Swachchhta activities,” the official added.
last year, Union Ministries had allocated over Rs 18 thousand crores.
At the review meeting, the Cabinet Secretary underlined that efforts under SAP need to be sustained by the respective Ministries.
The Cabinet Secretary also emphasised that all secretaries need to personally monitor implementation of SAP on a regular basis.
He further suggested that each Ministry should look beyond its own programmes and schemes and bring innovation in implementation of SAP with more enthusiasm and energy.
He called for a higher allocation of funds and higher utilisation in SAP.
Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer gave a presentation on the performance of the Swachhata Action Plan for the year 2017-18 and also presented a brief on SAP 2018-19, which will be implemented by Ministries and Departments during the current fiscal year.