Swachh Survekshan Survey 2018: Chandigarh should move up from its previous rank of 11, says Union minister
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, flanked by Haryana minister Kavita Jain and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, at the press conference in Chandigarh, on Saturday. (Jaipal Singh) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, flanked by Haryana minister Kavita Jain and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, at the press conference in Chandigarh, on Saturday. (Jaipal Singh)
UNION MINISTER of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri expects Chandigarh to move up from its previous year’s rank of 11 in the forthcoming Swachh Survekshan, 2018. Puri was in Chandigarh to review the progress of the urban development missions of the Centre in the Union Territory of Chandigarh and states of Punjab and Haryana.
The Chandigarh Administration, in unison with the governments of Punjab and Haryana, held a joint media briefing here on Saturday. The review was done in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, local bodies ministers of the two states, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Kavita Jain, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, D S Dhesi and Karan Avtar Singh, and UT Adviser Parimal Rai.
At the meeting, Puri highlighted the progress of schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
About the 2018 Swachh Survekshan, Puri said Chandigarh should move up from its previous rank of 11. He however, did not specify the steps being undertaken to achieve a higher rank.
“Chandigarh has already achieved 100 per cent open defecation in 2016,” urging that Chandigarh should be considered an archetype for other states to implement and achieve 100 per cent freedom from open defecation. The city has also achieved 100 per cent door-to-door collection in its 26 wards. However, the city has fallen behind in Swachh Waste Management, since only 30 per cent of the generated waste was being processed.
“It will be a pity if by Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary next year, we are not able to achieve 100 per cent Swachchta and ODF,” said Puri. “I would like to point out something that is not usually said. Providing a toilet to every household means giving dignity to women and girls, since women suffer the most due to lack of toilets.”
According to data from the ministry’s website, out of the 6,120 applications received for construction of toilets in Chandigarh up to November 2017, 6,117 have been built.
Moving on to PM Awas Yojana, there is a demand for 12,900 houses in Chandigarh at present. Moreover, 35 beneficiaries have availed of an interest subsidy of Rs 0.68 crore under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme. According to Puri, the housing demand should be saturated by 2017-2018.
As many as 70 projects, worth Rs 6,214 crore, have been approved and central assistance to the tune of Rs 196 crore has been released for Chandigarh under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). Till now, six projects in Chandigarh have been completed under the scheme.
Lastly, under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Chandigarh has achieved only 27 per cent of its skill target. Of the achieved target, only 16 per cent of the trained individuals have been successfully placed. The survey of urban homeless and subsequent provision of shelters for them is pending.
Puri further pointed out that there is no substitute for going to state capitals for a comprehensive review of the projects and schemes, mentioning his recent trips to Chandigarh, Punjab, Bangalore and Haryana. “I am very encouraged as the rate of implementation is good,” he said.
“Although the implementation of these schemes has faced ups and downs and there are backlogs, we will not stop working on innovative solutions to clear the backlogs,” he added.
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