Ira Gram Panchayat in Bantwal taluk will be declared ‘showcase Gram Panchayat’ in the month of April.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Total Sanitation Campaign State Co-ordinator Manoj Kumar said that the success story of Ira Gram Panchayat with regard to total sanitation and awareness on the ill-effects of plastic are highlighted everywhere. “Whenever we go to other places, we quote the success story of Ira. This needs to be exposed to others in the country,” he added.

More grants

Gram Panchayat  sources said that with the declaration of the honour, inflow of visitors to the gram panchayat will increase. “We may also get additional grants from the government to meet the necessary requirements like a guest house and roads,” they said.

To study the implementation of total sanitation and community participation in the development of a village, a nine-member delegation from Afghanisthan visited Ira on Tuesday.

The team visited anganwadi, school, gram panchayat and houses and had interacted with the the people. The team will also visit Kinnigoli and two gram panchayats in Kasargod on Tuesday.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, a member of the delegation Mr Manan Abdul said, “Ira village is ahead of us with respect to hygiene and sanitation. We have a lot to learn from them.”