Date:28/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/28/stories/2007072858370300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Total sanitation by 2009 in Medak: Collector

Staff Reporter

Will reach target with Unicef’s help

Workshop decides to establish NGP sadhana samithis
Samithis will take up awareness plans at village level

SANGAREDDY: Medak district has come out with a district-level action plan with the help of Unicef to achieve complete sanitation by 2009.

Giving details of the roadmap to the participants during the two-day workshop on Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) the district Collector B.Venkatesam said that initially 200 villages would be converted into NGP villages by 2008.

The two-day workshop also decided to establish division and district-level NGP sadhana samithis to create awareness among the public.

These samithis would take up awareness programmes at village-level. However the

Collector warned the participants that the Government reserved the right of recalling the NGP award if the Panchayat failed to maintain the required standards of hygiene in the village. Similarly the Unicef would help in imparting training to 3,600 volunteers from 28 mandals in the district as motivators under a behavioral and communication change programme in support of the NGP action plan.

The two-day proceedings of the workshop would be printed in the form of a book for further reference. Unicef Communications expert Vikas Verma, Sanitation officer Vijay Gawade and District panchayat officer Sanjeev was also present.