GUWAHATI, Jan 18 - Giving a major fillip to the implementation of the Swacch Bharat Mission in Assam, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has so far completed construction of over five lakh sanitary toilets in the State during the current financial year. Further, the Department is all set to install 50 water ATMs in different parts of the State and will soon commission a Composite Piped Water Supply Project in Kamrup under Neer Nirmal Pariyojana.
Taking stock of the progress of the activities undertaken by the PHE Department in the CM�s Conference Room of Assam Secretariat today, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pitched for developing a maintenance legacy for the toilets constructed under the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM) in the State.
The Chief Minister directed the PHED to take immediate steps for constituting maintenance groups involving local people to ensure cleanliness of the toilets every day in the respective locality.
�The perception of India being filthy needs to be changed. The functionaries of the PHE Department will have to work proactively with more dedication and commitment, focusing adequately on the functioning of the maintenance groups,� the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister further advised the Department to bring about visible changes in the people�s mindset by intensifying the awareness activities. Sonowal also asked the PHED to present an award to each of the cleanest villages of the district in the district-level Republic Day celebrations to boost the sanitation drive in the State.
Stating that the SBM is a programme with global importance, the Chief Minister also directed to develop a model design of the toilet for whole of the State with uniform colour code.
He has also asked the Department to prepare a movie depicting the success story of the Mission.
Further reviewing the Piped Water Supply Schemes (PWSS) constructed by the Department, the Chief Minister advised giving awards to users� committees which ensure quality maintenance of the schemes. Sonowal also asked the Department to share the PWSS maintenance expenditure equally with the users� committees in a bid to inculcate a greater sense of belongingness among the public for the schemes.
State PHED Minister Rihon Daimary and other senior officers of the Department, among others, were present in the meeting.
