Total sanitation drive: State's low performance

Karnataka with its 33.11 per cent stands at the 19th position

The progress achieved by the State is almost 12 per cent lesser than the average progress at the national-level. While the national average stands at 45.09 pc, the State’s progress is only 33.11 pc.
The Centre launched the programme in October 2005, with the objective of eradicating the practice of defecation in open spaces. In the last four years, this has been achieved completely, only in Shimoga and Dakshina Kannada districts.

The total outlay of the project for the State stands at Rs 797.83 crore. So far, the State has spent Rs 158.47 crore.

According to a progress report prepared by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Raichur, Chamarajanagar, Gulbarga, Davangere, Kodagu and Chitradurga districts (besides Dakshina Kannada and Shimoga) have shown progress more than 60 pc.

B’lore urban dist does well

The total amount released for the programme in Bangalore Rural district is Rs 19.55 crore. Of that, only Rs 8.38 crore has been utilised so far. Bangalore Urban district has done well. Of the total Rs 3.60 cr released so far, as much as Rs 2.37 cr has been utilised so far.

Under this drive, Zilla Panchayats take up construction of individual household toilets, school toilets and toilets for anganwadi centres. Haveri, Bellary, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Kolar, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Tumkur, Raichur, Bijapur and Gulbarga have achieved less than 25 per cent target in constructing individual household toilets.

Gulbarga stands at the last position, with only 9.22 pc progress.
With respect to construction of toilets in schools, most districts have done well. Five districts - Tumkur, Chamarajangar, Gulbarga, Bijapur and Kolar - have recorded below 100 per cent growth.
Kolar stands in the last position, with 44 per cent growth.

Physical progress in construction of anganwadi toilets is very low in Bijapur, Dharwad and Chamarajanagar districts. Bijapur recorded only 42.15 per cent progress. Dharwad stood second from the bottom, with only 58.87 pc progress.

These facts were brought to the notice of Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and RDPR minister Shobha Karandlaje during the recent Zilla Panchayat CEOs’ conference.

The minister took to task the CEOs of those districts that recorded progress below 25 per cent, and instructed them show progress in the year 2009-’10. The meeting resolved to achieve 100 per cent growth at least in 10 more districts in the next year.
DH News Service