Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (EP)

Bengaluru, May 18: Karnataka, which has the cleanest city in the country, has remained behind in government’s ambitious Swatchh Bharat project.  That too, its performance in constructing public and private toilets is poor.  The reason cited is, lack of funds.

In the progress review meeting presided over by union urban development department secretary Rajiv Gavuba in Vikasa Soudha on Tuesday, the deputy commissioners and high level officials in the state put forth the scarcity of funds as the reason for decelerated progress.

“2.5 lacs applications have been received for the construction of private toilets, out of which 1.8 lacs have been approved.  An amount between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 is  required for constructing a toilet. But the union government provides only Rs 5,300.  With this problem,  the expected progress cannot be achieved”, said Civil administration directorate director Dr N Manjula.

“An amount of Rs 350 crore has been approved from the union government and Rs 100 crores out of it has been are released.  Out of projected 4,000 public toilets, 785 have constructed”, she said.

State urban development department chief secretary Mahendra Jain supporting the observation said that the amount being released by the union government is not realistic.  “It should be increased”, he said.

Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Rajendra Cholan on video conference said that Rs 5,300 per construction of a toilet is discouraging.

Rajiv Gavuba responding to them said that the union government is providing 40 % funds for the construction.  The remaining amount should be spent by the state government for public or private toilets, he said.

Government chief secretary Arvind Jadhav meanwhile asked how many public toilets are required in the state.  Dr Manjula, replying to it said that 11,000 toilets have been already constructed.  “Another 6,900 toilets are required.  17,000 toilets will be needed in 2019 as per 2011 population census”, she said.