Nirmal Bharat? Babus looted even latrine scheme

FEW FACTS
*    The implementation of the ‘Individual Household Latrine Scheme’ in Assam is a saga of missed targets and poor construction quality.
*    The performance of PHE department in the implementation of the scheme has been unsatisfactory.
*    The department has so far fulfilled just 61.21 per cent of the actual target.
*    Only 56.77 lakh BPL and APL households were brought under the scheme in the State so far against the actual target of 33,81,037 rural households.

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 29: Implementation of the ‘Individual Household Latrine Scheme’ for BPL and APL households under the Central government’s Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan Scheme in Assam were allegedly marred by large-scale corruption and was an account of how government schemes/programmes are used as a mean by a section of government officials in the State to loot funds. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan scheme which was introduced during the UPA regime has been brought under the present NDA government’s much touted Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The implementation of the ‘Individual Household Latrine Scheme’ in the State is also a saga of missed targets and poor construction quality. In other words, it can be said that performance of Assam’s Public Health Engineering (PHE) department in the implementation of the scheme has been unsatisfactory and the department has so far fulfilled just 61.21 per cent of the actual target. According to records, only 56.77 lakh BPL and APL households were brought under the scheme in the State so far against the actual target of 33,81,037 rural households. In the BPL category, only 18,12,340 rural households were brought under the scheme in the State so far against the actual target of 22,20,017 households. The implementation of the scheme is worst in Bongaigaon district - only 10.18 per cent households were covered of the targeted 51,929 households. Similarly, the implementation of the scheme is very dismal in Dima Hasao district - 30.42 per cent housholds were covered of the targeted 21,328 households. In the APL category, only 4,73,522 rural households were brought under the scheme in the State so far against the actual target of 11,61,020 households. The status of implementation of the scheme is pathetic in Karbi Anglong district - only 2.11 per cent households were covered of the targeted 19,293 households. In lbari district, only 15.83 per cent households were covered of the targeted 1,27,387 households. In Lakhimpur and Udalguri districts, 17.73 per cent and 22.22 per cent households were covered of the targeted of 22,938 and 67,169 households respectively.     According to records, 30,75,074 households are targeted to be covered in Assam under the household latrine scheme that is now part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. But only time will tell whether this pet mission of the NDA government will be successfully implemented in the State or meet a similar fate as that of the ‘Individual Household Latrine Scheme’.