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New Delhi: Concerned
over poor sanitation in rural areas, the government Thursday
doubled the amount given for construction of household lavatories
from Rs.4,600 to nearly Rs.10,000.
It also scrapped the distinction between below poverty Line and
above poverty line used for identifying the beneficiaries.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs here.
Now, the Total Sanitation Campaign will be known as Nirmal Bharat
Abhiyan, said Union Rural Development Minister and the Minister
for Drinking Water and Sanitation Jairam Ramesh.
He said chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab had demanded fair allocation for
achieving the sanitation goals.
He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid stress on linking
sanitation programme in 200 districts, where the problem of
malnutrition was acute.
He said the Planning Commission had approved Rs.36,000 crore for
drinking water and sanitation programmes in the 12th Five Year
Plan against Rs.7,800 crore allocated in the 11th plan.
The cabinet also made toilet construction mandatory for availing
funds under the Indira Awaas Yojana.
The allocation for housing scheme will also be raised from
existing Rs.45,000 to Rs.75,000 by the end of July, said the
minister.
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