House Panel dismisses Centre’s 84% swachchh rural areas claim

A Parliamentary panel on Thursday dismissed the Government’s claim of achieving about 84 per cent of the sanitation coverage in the rural areas under the Swachchh Bharat Mission (SBM) noting that in actual the figure seems to be more on paper while progress at the ground level is very lethargic.

In this context, it drew the Government’s attention to the huge unspent balance during 2018-19 of Rs 9,890.84 crore particularly in big States like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh in rural areas under the Mission which was launched on Ocober 2, 2014 with much fanfare by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Headed by Lok Sabha member Dr P Venugopal ,  the panel took a dig at the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, a nodal agency for implementing the SBM, commenting that at a time, when the major parts of the country are under severe water shortage, the idea of attaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status for 100 per cent sanitation coverage across the nation seems ‘farcical’.

“The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has claimed about 84 per cent of sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the Country as on 24th May, 2018. However, contrary to the figures being projected by the Ministry, the Committee while examining the subject were of the view that the sanitation coverage figures seemed to be more on “Paper” but the actual progress at the ground level is very lethargic,” said the panel in its report submitted to Parliament.

During interaction with the officials and stakeholders, the Committee found that during the year 2018-19 as on 24 May, there was huge unspent balance of Rs 9890.84 crore under SBM(G).

“The Committee is concerned to note that the problem of unspent balance is more prominent in certain States than others under SBM(G). The Committee also find that States like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh have large amount of unspent balances. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh Rs 2836.82 crore, in Bihar Rs 2764.62 crore, in Madhya Pradesh Rs 866.68 crore, in Assam Rs 606.30 crore, in Odisha Rs 436.71 crore, in Andhra Pradesh Rs 420.16 crore are lying unspent,” it said.

It reminded the Government that even a village with 100 per cent household toilets cannot be declared ODF till all the inhabitants start using them.