Swachh Bharat hard to achieve if resources not identified: Parliamentary Panel

NEW DELHI: Observing that the government's ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission may not be completed by 2019 without identifying resources, a Parliamentary Panel sought the process of exploring feasibility of funds to be expedited.

The eighth report of the Committee on Estimates on the Review of Sanitation Programmes in Rural Areas, which was tabled in Lok Sabha today, noted that the government has not finalised the fund availability for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) through proposed sources though it has fixed the timeline for completion of the mission by the year 2019.

"Fixing of timeline for accomplishing the mission, without identifying the resources, in their considered view, may not only affect the target of completion of the mission but also create an avoidable uncertainty," the report said.

The committee recommended that the government must expeditiously explore the feasibility of funds needed for the mission through various sources.

On the issue of sanitation in school, the committee noted that there is an apparent "mismatch" between the figures submitted by the ministry, steps being taken and timeline by which, each school would have adequate but separate toilets for girls and boys.

As per records, the report said, there are 10,93,969 schools in the country in 2013-14. Out of these, 94.95 per cent schools have boys toilets and 84.63 per cent schools have girls toilets.

Seeking further clarification, the committee said that it was informed that of the 11.22 lakh government schools, 2.45 lakh schools do not have a toilet, which translates to a gap of 4.19 lakh toilets if at least one toilet each is to be provided to girls and boys separately.

"The committee noted with deep concern the apparent mismatch between the figures submitted to them by the Ministry and the steps being taken and the timeline by which each school would have adequate but separate toilets for girls and boys," the report said.