Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051204270300.htm

Karnataka - Belgaum

13 gram panchayats from Belgaum to apply for Nirmal Gram Award

Staff Correspondent

Works under Nirmal Gram Yojana to be completed by June-end

More about NGY
It was launched to assist rural people to have household toilets

It helps rural masses by ensuring safe water and better sanitation practices

Belgaum: The Belgaum Zilla Panchayat has selected 13 gram panchayats in the 10 taluks of the district to stake claim for Nirmal Gram Award this year.

At a meeting presided over by chief executive officer M.E. Shivalingmurthy here on Wednesday, the gram panchayats of Hindalga and Sambra in Belgaum taluk, Bugate Alur in Hukkeri taluk, Nandgad in Khanapur taluk, Toranatti in Ramdurg taluk, Asundi in Saundatti taluk, Kothali and Barwad in Chikkodi taluk, Dhupdal in Gokak taluk, Kusnal and Sankaratti in Athani taluk, Nandikurali in Raibag taluk and Bailur in Bailhongal taluk were selected.

It was decided to expeditiously complete all the works under the Nirmal Gram Yojana in all these 13 villages by June end as the last date for submission of application for awards in July 31, 2006.

The NGY aims at making a qualitative difference and help the rural masses by ensuring safe water, better sanitation practices and clean surroundings; thereby preventing families from diarrhoea and other communicable diseases.

Components

The essential components associated with the scheme are safe handling of drinking water and human excreta, solid waste disposal/garbage disposal, home sanitation and food hygiene, personal hygiene and sanitation in villages. In fact, the basic objective is to prepare families to adopt a holistic approach by encompassing these components and thus improve quality of life.

Below poverty line families

According to an estimate, roughly 51 per cent of the rural population comes under Below Poverty Line criterion of Rs. 11,800 annual income per household. The State's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department launched the ambitious NGY on Gandhi Jayanti in 1995, to assist rural population in the State to own individual household toilets. Initially, it was decided to construct 100 toilets in each gram panchayat every year.

According to official sources here on Thursday, good quality toilets would be constructed in all the houses, anganwadis and school buildings falling under areas in the gram panchayats concerned.

A mass awareness programme on day-to-day sanitation and hygienic practices will be taken up in each of the 13 gram panchayats.

Benefits

The villages achieving total sanitation are eligible for Rs. 4 lakh under the Nirmal Gram Award. That apart, Rs. 20,000 will be given to self-help groups and Rs. 10,000 to individuals working with the government in implementing the NGY. The Government has increased subsidy component from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,200 for the beneficiary below poverty line families.

Mr. Shivalingmurthy has appealed to the public in general and the beneficiaries in particular to take best advantage of the NGY and help their gram panchayats win Nirmal Gram Award.