Modi @ 4: How 'swachh' is our Bharat? India Prime Minister Modi's ruling BJP suffers humiliating defeat in LS 2019 Election than he will be make Cow dung Cake and more Urea neem coated India will be more Clean Swacch Eh !
makes it appear as though the push for cleanliness started with Narendra Modi !
It is completely silent on the Total Sanitation Campaign launched in 2008 which was renamed Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in 2012 which was further renamed Swacch Bharat Abhiyan in 2014 by Modi and marketed as a profound scheme by him !
The report also conveniently omits to make a comparison of the funds allocated and spent for construction of toilets under the Total Sanitation campaign and the Swacch bharat Abhiyan !
The article gives rise to several questions. (1) There appears to be a gross error in projection of the program expenditure. The projected expenditure was Rs. 1.47 lakh crores for 100% achievement. But an amount of Rs. 37000 crores has been spent upto 2017-18 to raise the percent of households with toilet from 38.70% to 77%. Rs. 32300 crores remains to be spent. Thus, a total of Rs. 69300 crores is to be spent on the entire program, but the estimate was made for Rs. 1.47 lakh crores. The cost of the program was overestimated to the extent of Rs. 77,700 crores. How such a glaring costing error can happen, that too with costing experts on the job? Is costing exercise done this way for all government programs? What guarantee is there that funds are not misused or pilfered? If this is the case, we possibly could have massive scam just wrapped up for the time being. (2) Regarding usage of toilets, sustained training and monitoring is required to ensure the success of such a program. Regarding attitude of our people, many of the trains are fitted with bio-toilets. But all kinds of waste are dumped into the toilet-hole despite display of notices to the contrary. (3) Many public toilets are locked up by the authorities. What is the use of embarking upon such a massive and ambitious program if the facilities are not put to use?
Will the government be alert to these issues so that our tax monies are properly accounted for.
