The need for developing a vibrant civil society which will plan, fund and execute basic amenities to the public and will not depend on government for all its activities was stressed by T. Soundiah, Collector.
The funds available with the government are limited and had to be shared equally among a large number of local bodies, Mr. Soundiah, said while speaking at a meeting of the newly formed Association for Improvement of Musiri (AIM) at Musiri near here on Tuesday. Mr. Soundiah is the chairman of the AIM.
Musiri Town Panchayat had won world wide attention in the field of sustainable sanitation and it was in a position to move forward in many other ways. The government may not be able to spend additional funds for Musiri. But the residents of Musiri could take up and plan new programmes for its development some of which may not require any funds at all, but good planning and mobilization of local support.
M. Subburaman, Secretary, AIM, explained the objectives of AIM, and the programmes undertaken in the field of sanitation in Musiri.
V. Ganapathy, vice-president of AIM said that Musiri Panchayat had recently got about Rs. four crore from government and other funding agencies. Jothi Kannan, former MLA, initiated the discussions and donated a sum of Rs. One lakh for AIM.
K. P. Raghunath, Revenue Divisional Officer, V. C. Sudhakar, president of the Musiri Town Panchayat, Pugalendi, Assistant Elementary Education Officer, Meera Mohan of Musiri Medical Association, Ramesh Babu of Lions club, spoke. Officials of over 15 government departments participated.
The bhoomi puja of the integrated sanitation facility in the Panchayat Union Middle School in Musiri was performed in the presence of Mr. Soundiah. UNICEF has sanctioned Rs.5.5 lakh for the scheme. Mr. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said the complex will have urine diversion toilet and provisions for solid waste management and rain water harvesting.
