By IANS,
Chandigarh : Nearly 800 ‘Gram Panchayats’ (village councils) in Haryana have earned Rs.112.9 million in award money under total sanitation campaign (TSC) for ridding their villages of open defecation.
An official spokesman said here Thursday the award under the Nirmal Gram Puraskar programme is given to a village council that ensures 100 per cent sanitation in schools and other institutions and independent flush toilets for all houses in the village.
“The idea is make the village free from open defecation, dry latrines and manual scavenging and ensure clean environment in the village,” he added.
He said that the NGP award money could be utilized for improving and maintaining sanitation facilities in the villages.
The Nirmal Gram Puraskar was instituted in 2004-05 under the central government scheme to promote sanitation in the rural areas.