Chhattisgarh close to achieving ODF state status: Smriti

Raipur, Sept 17: Praising Chhattisgarh for making rapid progress in the fields of education and 'swachhata (cleanliness), Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani today expressed optimism that the state -- under Chief Minister Raman Singh's leadership -- would soon achieve the goal of becoming Open Defecation-Free (ODF). "So far Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarkhand and Haryana have been declared ODF states," the Minister said while addressing a 'Swachhata Hi Seva' programme at Kendri village in the district which was organised to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. Ms Irani, along with the Chief Minister, also dedicated development projects worth over Rs 168 crore at another Swachhata programme held at Mandir Hasaud in the district's Arang Block during her one-day visit to Chhattisgarh. Addressing the gatherings, the Minister said that more than 2.36 lakh villages had been declared ODF state in the entire country so far. Toilets had been built in four lakh girls' schools across the national resulting in 20 per cent increase in enrollment of girls in those schools. Ms Smriti Irani highly appreciated the initiative taken by Kendri villagers to build 10,000 toilets in the coming ten days. She also laid bricks for the construction of a toilet in the village and dedicated Smart Gram Panchayat, Smart Anganwadi and Smart School buildings. Dr Singh said that Premier's Swachh Bharat Mission had become a people's movement in Chhattisgarh. He revealed that 8,000 gram panchayats and 14,000 villages had been declared open defection-free in the state with the co-operation of panchs, sarpanchs, rural populace and others. He said that Chhattisgarh will be declared ODF before the deadline of October 2, 2018 and Prime Minister will be invited to attend a function. UNI