Bangalore: Mangalore, Sullia Taluks to Get Nirmal Gram Puraskar

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 17: Mangalore and Sullia taluks are the two taluks out of 176 taluks in Karnataka, which have been chosen for the Nirmal Gram Puraskar for the year 2011.

The awards will be presented by Karnataka Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj in Bangalore on Saturday. Dakshina Kannada had also won the central Nirmal Gram Puraskar earlier this year.

File Photo of Dakshina Kannada ZP president Shailaja K T 
receiving central Nirmal Gram Puraskar 

Another 102 Gram Panchayats in the State have also been selected for the Nirmal Gram Puraskar Awards.

The Nirmal Gram Puraskar Awards are being for the two taluks and the 102 Grama Panchayats for their performance in achieving 100 per cent total sanitation campaign during the year 2011.

These details were announced by Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is the Minister in charge of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj as also Revenue Departments, at a news conference in Bangalore on Friday.

He said the Government has enhanced the subsidy amount for construction of individual household latrines from the present Rs 3,700 to Rs 9,200 from the current financial year in a bid to improve sanitation all over the State.

Of the total Rs 9,200 subsidy for each individual household latrine, Eshwarappa said the Centre and State Government would provide subsidy of Rs 3,200 and Rs 1,500, respectively. Rs 4500 would be provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by providing 26 days of manual labour, he said.

The below poverty line (BPL) criteria has also been removed to avail the subsidy. Nearly 90 per cent of the households of the State could avail the subsidy, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The available data showed that the State Government had demonstrated its commitment for implementation of the total sanitation campaign, which was launched on October 2, 2005.

Over 30 lakh households in the State did not have individual household latrines and the State Government was keen to solve this problem.

A total of 42,036 government schools and 28,207 anganawadi centres have also been covered under the programme.

The coverage was 100 per cent in 1069 gram panchayats and six taluks, including Mangalore and Sullia, Eshwarappa said.

To ensure cent per cent coverage of the scheme, the Centre has increased the subsidy under the programme and expanded the programme for 10 more years till the year 2022.