Amid doubts over achieving the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, official figures indicate that only less than 25 per cent of the targeted 1,206 villages have been declared free from open defecation in the State.
As on January 24, only 230 villages have achieved 100 per cent success, according to the latest information available from the office of the Director of Social Audit, S.H. Hegde. As many as 278 villages have achieved more than 90 per cent success and 698 have reported less than 90 per cent success.
According to Belagavi Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Deepa Cholan, of the targeted 141 villages in the district, 20 in five taluks have been declared free from open defecation. Another 21 villages have achieved 90 per cent success so far and are expected to achieve the target by March-end. Belagavi district, as of now, tops the list in the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in the State. Villages declared free from open defecation are Jalge, Heballahatti, Karalgahati, Kokan Navaga (Khanapur taluk); Bekkinkere, Atitwad, Ganeshpur, Boknur, Devanghatti, Kumri, Kangrali K.H., Kinye, Khadarwdi, Rajhansgad, Kolikopp, Bachi, Konewadi (Belagavi taluk); Hosalli (Ramdurg taluk); Kyarkopp (Bailhongal taluk); and Khavanewadi village (Hukkeri taluk).
Another 13 villages of Khanapur taluk and nine of Belagavi taluk have achieved more than 90 per cent success.
According to Belagavi zilla panchayat deputy secretary R.G. Nayak, beneficiaries are selected from APL and BPL families and given Rs.12,000 to construct individual household latrines. The Union government is giving 75 per cent of the unit cost (Rs. 9,000) and the rest is contributed by the State government. For families belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the amount given is Rs.15,000.
He said nearly 5.2 lakh individual household latrines needed to be constructed in the district of which 1.5 lakh had been built in the last three years. The Belagavi Zilla Panchayat planned to construct 69,469 individual household latrines during 2014-15 of which 35,000 had been completed.
Twenty villages in Belagavi have achieved 100 p.c. success
