NWN News

New Delhi: The Union Minister of Rural Development Sh Jairam Ramesh has said that issues like Sanitation and Drinking water should become the main national agenda to ensure a healthy national outlook. Addressing the second meeting of National Drinking Water and Sanitation Council here, the Minister said, he is hopeful of 40 to 60 percent increase in the budgetary allocation for drinking water and Sanitation, which stands at Rs 10,000 crore at present. He said, health, sanitation and water supply should not be treated as separate issues, as they impact on each other and should be seen in a holistic framework. Shri Ramesh said that nearly eight lakh ASHA workers working in the health sector will be roped in for creating awareness about sanitation issues in rural areas and appropriate incentives will be given to them. He also informed that the allocation of Rs 3,000 for creating individual toilets will be increased to about Rs 7,000, but at the same time added that the focus will shift from individual toilets to community ones, where the Gram Panchayats will be the sheet anchor of the programme.
[PIB]