'Swacha Grama' programme launched

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 18. ``Swacha Grama'', a programme meant to instill a spirit of cleanliness and sanitation in villages, will be implemented in over 1,000 villages in the State from today.The Rs. 180-crore programme, funded mainly by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation which has extended a loan of Rs. 160 crores, will be implemented in phases based on the people's response and participation. While around 1,000 villages have opted to join the programme, many more are expected to participate in the days to come.The Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Mr. M.Y. Ghorpade, told presspersons here today that unlike other programmes implemented in the in rural areas, the ``Swacha Grama Yojane'' would actively involve villagers to improve the upkeep of their villages. Specific guidelines had been drafted for the implementation of the programme and its monitoring.

He said the selected villages would have to fulfil certains conditions within two weeks, including the adoption of resolutions by the respective gram sabhas on the disposal of garbage and manure, and the maintenance of the facilities created under the programme. Work on schemes to be undertaken under the programme would commence in the first week of May and would be completed in about three months.

Mr. Ghorpade said the deadline for villages to join the programme had been extended till the end of April. Of the Rs. 20 lakhs to be spent on each village, the villagers would have to contribute Rs. 2 lakhs. This clause had been introduced to ensure that the villagers participated in the programme and closely monitored the implementation since their money was at stake. Each village would have to pay Rs. 1 lakh to register for the programme. The rest of the money could be remitted in cash, or made good in the form of labour, provision of land, etc., at a later stage. While 1,072 villages had registered so far, the Government expected 200 more villages to join by the end of the month, he said.

Of the Rs. 20 lakhs earmarked for each village, Rs. 10 lakhs would go towards the development of at least two km of the village road, including the provision of drainage, construction of toilets in at least 200 houses in a village, construction of four toilet blocks for the village school, development of a garbage and manure yard outside the village and installation of a smokeless choola in each house. Villages which sought additional money for development (not more than Rs. 40 lakhs) would have to contribute 50 per cent of the amount sought.Mr. Ghorpade said the Swacha Grama would be closely monitored by the Swacha Grama committees to be constituted in each village. Among others, the 20-member committees would include a zilla panchayat member, an anganwadi worker, a midwife and the headmaster of the village school. All the works and their implementation would have to be ratified by the respective gram sabhas which would have to meet at regular intervals.

Mr. Ghorpade said the Swacha Grama programme would be a success since there were certain inbuilt monitoring mechanisms.

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