DK ZP and Mangalore TP receive Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 19, 2012: H. R. Bharadwaj, governor of Karnataka, conferred the national Nirmal Gram Purasakar on 103 GPs of Karnataka along with the DK Zilla Panchayat, Mangalore Taluk Panchayat, and Sullia Taluk Panchayat on August 18, Saturday. 

K. S. Eshwarappa, deputy chief minister of Karnataka, who is also in-charge of the revenue and rural development and Panchayat Raj portfolios, was present. Speaking on the occasion, Eshwarappa said that the government has increased the subsidy for construction of individual household latrines (IHHLs) to Rs. 9,200 from Rs. 3,700 under TSC from this fiscal year. The central government and the state government will contribute Rs. 3,200 and Rs. 1,500, respectively, and Rs. 4,500 will be provided under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the form of 26 days of manual labour. Since the government has removed the below poverty line (BPL) criteria to avail this subsidy, around 90 percent of the families in Karnataka can avail this subsidy, he added.

The award was conferred on rural local bodies for achieving total sanitation under the central government’s Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC).  

After conferring the awards for 2011 on the presidents of local rural bodies, Governor H. R. Bharadwaj said that the implementation of TSC was slow because funds were not allocated properly for the construction of toilets. He urged the government to take steps to effectively ban manual scavenging in rural Karnataka. 

DK Zilla Panchayat, Mangalore Taluk Panchayat, and Sullia Taluk Panchayat have recorded 100 percent coverage of latrines in schools, houses, and anganwadi centres. 

Receiving the award from the government, Mrs. K. T. Shailaja Bhat, president of DK ZP, thanked all the concerned officials for successfully implementing the schemes. 

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of this program, the minister told reporters that the scheme was 100 percent implemented in 1069 GPs and 6 TPs, including Sullia and Mangalore. The centre has increased subsidy under the program and has extended it for 10 more years to make sure of 100 percent implementation, he added. 

MLA Roshan Baik, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan Director M. Deepa, and others were present.