Rural sanitation up by 9% after 'Swachh Bharat'
Rural Development Minister Birender Singh on Wednesday said that rural sanitation has increased by 9.48% since the Swachh Bharat mission was launched. As on March 31, 2016, rural sanitation stood at 51.53% as against 42.05% on October 2, 2014, Singh added. He further said that 53,973 villages have been declared 'open defecation free' since then.