Action plan-2011 to cover gram panchayats

Bhopal, Mar 09: The state government has chalked out an action plan-2011 to cover all gram panchayats under Nirmal Scheme by year 2011. Under the Total Sanitation Campaign the scheme would cover ten percent gram panchayats during financial year 2007-08 in the first phase. Thirty percent gram panchayats would be covered during 2008-09, 35 percent during 2009-10 and 25 during year 2010-11. Thus, the entire state would be made Nirmal (clean) by year 2011.

It may be mentioned here that the state is one of the leading states of the country under Nirmal Gram Puraskar scheme launched by Government of India under Total Sanitation Campaign. The award is given to districts, blocks and villages on total elimination of the practice of open defecation. The districts, blocks and gram panchayats which have achieved cent percent targets of construction and use of clean individual and family latrines, providing latrines in all schools and anganwadi centres, fully eliminated the practice of defecation in open air, maintenance of clean environment, individual cleanliness and provision of safe drinking water are eligible for this award. It is noteworthy that while one village panchayat of Madhya Pradesh had won Nirmal Gram award in year 2005, a total of 190 villages won the award in year 2006. Proposals for the award to 2758 gram panchayats have so far been sent this year to the central government.