PM inaugurated India Sanitation Conference – INDOSAN

Narendra Modi inaugurated the day long INDOSAN – India Sanitation Conference, which is meant for taking stock of the progress made under the Swachh Bharat mission.   

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed chief ministers, ministers, elected representatives of people, district collectors, municipal commissioners of 500 AMRUT cities and other stakeholders in New Delhi, Ahead of the second anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Eleven individuals and organizations who have made significant contribution for generating awareness about sanitation and motivating people in this regard would be honored during the conference.
• The Prime Minister, other leaders and participants would also sign a declaration reiterating the country’s commitment to ensure an Open Defecation Free and Clean India. 

There will be six thematic sessions on various aspects of Swachh Bharat Mission. Prime Minister Modi, other leaders and participants would a sign a declaration reiterating the country’s commitment to ensure Open Defecation Free and Clean India.

PM, CMs, Ministers sign Declaration of Commitment to make Swachh Bharat by 2019

In a next step towards development, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and Ministers from States and Union Territories together signed a Declaration of Commitment to make India Open Defecation Free and Clean by 2019.

• Other elected representatives from rural and urban local bodies, District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners also signed a similar Declaration.
• With people leading the India Sanitation Alliance, cleanliness in rural and urban areas has been mainstreamed with political leadership at various levels for the first time. 21^st century India has to get free from illiteracy and LITTERATI people who throw litter in the open.
• It is noted that as on date 405 cities and towns have come to be Open Defecation Free and 739 would become ODF by March next year. 24 lakh individual household toilets have so far been built in urban areas and another 19 lakhs under construction.
• 20,000 of the 82,000 urban wards have become ODF. 90,000 community and public toilet seats have been built and another 1.29 lakh seats under construction.

19 States rewarded for promoting urban reforms under Atal Mission during 2015-16

19 States and the Union Territory of Chandigarh were rewarded with performance incentive for promoting urban reforms under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) during 2015-16.

• Among the AMRUT entrants, Tamil Nadu topped the list of performing States, Chandigarh headed the list of Union Territories.
• The winners were felicitated by Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu with mementoes and cheques during INDOSAN Conference in New Delhi.
• Rs.400 cr was earmarked for reform incentive during 2015-16. 23 States/UTs applied to the Ministry of Urban Development. After verification of claims States/UT scoring 70% marks were identified for giving reform incentive. Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and A & N Islands could not qualify.

Reform incentive distributed to 20 States/UT was :

1. Tamil Nadu (Rs.61.34 cr),
2. Karnataka (Rs.29.92 cr),
3. Odisha (Rs.10.27 cr),
4. Telangana (Rs.10.73 cr),
5. Kerala (15.00 cr),
6. Chattisgarh (Rs.13.00 cr),
7. Andhra Pradesh (Rs.13.62 cr),
8. MP (Rs.33.45 cr),
9. Gujarat (Rs.26.72 cr),
10. Bihar (Rs.15.04 cr),
11. Rajasthan (Rs.20.80 cr),
12. Mizoram (Rs.1.63 cr),
13. Maharashtra (Rs.45.57 cr),
14. UP (Rs.63.47 cr),
15. Jharkhand (Rs.7.28 cr),
16. Himachal Pradesh (Rs.3.54 cr),
17. Tripura (Rs.1.70 cr),
18. West Bengal (Rs.24.89 cr),
19. Goa (Rs.1.34 cr) and
20. Chandigarh (0.69 cr).

One lakh villages will become ODF on 2nd October, 2016

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water & Sanitation and Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar addressed that by 2nd October, 2016, one lakh villages will become Open Defecation Free, ODF and 40 Districts will achieve the status of ODF Districts in this financial Year.

• In order to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, the Prime Minister had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October, 2014, after his historic address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August, 2014.
• Swachh Bharat Mission is not a government programme, but it’s a people’s movement and there is need for behavioural change among the people as merely toilet construction will not be sufficient to achieve the ODF status.It is noted that now 87, 666 villages are ODF, apart from 1,544 villages in Namami Gange areas.
• This needs to be underlined that the sanitation coverage was 42.12 percent on 2nd October, 2014, when the programme was launched, which has now increased to 55.31 percent, while 24 Districts have been declared as ODF ones.
• Sikkim is the only State which has achieved the ODF status, and Kerala, Haryana, Gujrat and Maharashtra will soon achieve the ODF status.