First in NB : 2 Panchayat Samities to get Nirmal Gram awards

  

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 30: There are sixteen Gram Panchayats out of 128 GPs in Cooch Behar district that were awarded with Nirmal Gram (total sanitised village) status. Now, another twenty-three Gram Panchayats and two Panchayat Samities are going to achieve the similar status. There is no Panchayat Samity in north Bengal that received the Nirmal Gram award till now, claimed the sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda.

 

Successful implementation of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) programme in Mathabhanga-II and Sitai blocks made them eligible to get the Nirmal Gram awards. As per government norms a village or a Gram Panchayat or Panchayat Samity can be declared as a Nirmal Gram if ninety percent of the latrines of the area concerned turn into sanitary toilets, said the TSC district co-ordinator, Mr Amalendu Naha.

 

The TSC programme was started in this district in 2000. There are 12 Rural Sanitary Marts but five turned defunct. There are 27 approved clubs who are doing as Production Centres. The objective of the programme is to extend sanitary toilet and safe drinking water facilities to all residents. Following a survey that was done in 2002 the number of target households was fixed at 4,30,122. Already the TSC scheme achieved success by extending sanitary toilets to 2,00,060 residences. While Mathabhanga-II block is on the top position in implementing the TSC scheme by extending sanitary toilets in 37,006 households the position of Haldibari block is at the bottom. Here the achievement is 2,549 only.

 

Not only the residences, the TSC programme is also bringing primary schools, high schools, madrasas, Shishu Shiksha Kendras (SSK), Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras (MSK) and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) centres under its activity. All schools will be brought under the sanitation programme, the TSC district co-ordinator said. Following a unique plan the students of different schools are being asked to collect data on regular practice of health and hygienic habits and using of sanitary facilities in their families and neighbourhood. This awareness drive may boost up healthy habits among the students and the members of their families, Mr Naha hoped. []