New Delhi, December 18: Government is considering interlinking of its rural sanitation programme with NREGA to expedite its target of eradicating open defecation practice till 2010 by utilising the potential and funds of the rural employment guarantee programme.
“I do agree with the suggestions that if unit cost (of sanitation programme) is not increased, at least the work can be done through NREGA using the funds available in material component of the programme. We are addressing this issue,” Rural Development Minister C P Joshi said today.
“I think interlinking of sanitation (programme) with NREGA will give good results and shortage of funds, which is being raised by some of the states, will not remain any issue …we are considering changing the guidelines,” he added.
Joshi was addressing the two-day conference of state secretaries in-charge of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation here. Several states were of the view that allocations on the unit cost of sanitation programme was very low and it should be increased.
He said that by interlinking the sanitation programme with NREGA, the funds available under material and labour components of the rural employment guarantee programme can be utilised to give a fillip to the total sanitation programme.
“We have Rs 40,000 crore available under NREGA,” Joshi said asking the states to utilise it.
Under Total Sanitation programme, Government has set the target of eradicating open defecation practice in rural areas by 2010. However, only 61.79 per cent of the rural India has so far been covered.
–PTI