A year on, cleanliness scheme yet to take off

During the 2016 budget session, chief minister Vasundhara Raje had announced “Mukhyamantri Swachchh Gram Yojna” (MSGY) to ensure cleanliness in villages.

Following the announcement, in December last year, the state rural development department issued guidelines to district authorities to get the process going. However, months have passed since then but the scheme is yet to get implemented here.

The aim of the scheme is to make villages clean and create awareness about cleanliness among the rural people. Besides making the people aware about the cleanliness, the government also planned to utilize biodegradable waste by recycling it.

The Centre, under Swachh Bharat Mission or Clean India Mission, has set a target to make the country open defecation-free by October 2, 2019, which coincides with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

To boost the Centre’s initiative, the state government planned the MGSY by linking the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The MGSY, however, has been launched only in Panchayats that are open defection free. The government said MGSY will be partly funded through the Swachh Bharat Mission and MGNREGA while the state will contribute the remaining part.

Suresh Dhadich, additional district project coordinator of MGNREGA in Barmer, confirmed that no progress has been made in MGSY.

“We have directed panchayats to send the proposals but until now we have not received a single one,” he said.

BESIDES MAKING THE PEOPLE AWARE ABOUT NEED FOR CLEANLINESS, THE GOVTT ALSO PLANNED TO RECYCLE BIODEGRADABLE WASTE