Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil has said the Congress State government has increased household sanitation coverage from 34% to 76% in a span of four years.
Speaking at a programme at Konnur village in Nargund taluk of Gadag district on Tuesday, where Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu declared rural areas in Nargund taluk as open defecation-free, Mr. Patil said the State government’s “Shouchalayakkagi Samara” (crusade for toilets) has resulted in a significant increase in the number of household toilets being constructed in the State.
Mr. Patil said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken steps to make the State open defecation-free by October 2, 2018, and already 5,000 villages and 1,000 gram panchayats have been declared open defecation-free.
“The State government has come up with a bathroom-cum-toilet project to cater to the needs of rural women. I will appeal to the Union Government to extend assistance for the project to help women,” Mr. Patil said.
Mr. Patil promised of getting sanction from the State government for the underground drainage project worth ₹5 crore for Konnur village.
Adopt families
Highlighting the need for people to give back something to their native places, Governor Vajubhai Vala asked people to adopt families or children in their native places to help them get better facilities.
He said government alone could do nothing unless people joined hands with it.
Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Jigajinagi said only when people kept their households and surroundings clean, then the State and the country could become clean.
On the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of Gadag Zilla Panchayat Manjunath Chauhan and presidents of 13 GPs, which have become open defecation-free, were honoured by the Vice-President and other dignitaries.
MLA and Chairman of Hatti Gold Mines B.R. Yavagal and P.C. Gaddigoudar, MP, felicitated Mr. Naidu. Welcoming the dignitaries, Secretary of Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Parameswaran Iyer said the State had made significant progress in household sanitation.
Earlier, Mr. Naidu inaugurated a purified drinking water plant ( Shuddha Neeru Ghataka ), and waste dump processing unit, and then interacted with residents who have recently got toilets constructed at their homes.
