Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought the direct intervention of Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ch. Birender Singh for not changing the funding pattern for the construction of individual household toilets (IHHLs) under Swach Bharat Mission (SBM).In a letter to Ch. Birender Singh, the Chief Minister apprised him that Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India vide its letter no. S-110100/1/2015-SBM of 10.11.2015 intimated about the revision in the funding pattern in respect of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) components. He said that the funding pattern has been revised as 60:40 against the existing funding pattern of 75: 25 between Centre and State for works under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
The Chief Minister informed that the Union Minister that the state government has already allocated funds as per State share in its budget for the year 2015-16 for the targets fixed for the construction of 1, 30,000 individual household toilets to ensure completion of entire work of constructing toilets in the remaining 8, 00,000 households by 2019 as per the deadline fixed by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. Further, he said that funds have already been disbursed to all the districts for the construction of 47,182 latrines to meet the commitment for the construction of 1, 30,000 IHHLs fixed for the current year.
Likewise, Mr. Badal said that currently State Government was disbursing funds @ Rs 15000 per IHHL (Central share Rs 9000 + State Share Rs 6000) instead of Rs 12000 per IHHL as per SBM (G) Guidelines (9000 by GOI +3000 by State Government) adding that state Government was already paying Rs 3000 per IHHL extra due to high labour and material cost in the State.The Chief Minister told Ch. Birender Singh that with the revised funding pattern of 60:40 between Centre and States, the share of GOI has slashed to Rs. 7200 per IHHL, meaning there by that State's share would now increase to Rs. 7800 per IHHL i.e. an additional load of Rs. 1800 per toilet or Rs. 23.40 crore for 1, 30,000 toilets to be constructed during the current year. He said that as indicated above, no additional budget was possible for disbursement for this component during the current financial year. Moreover, Mr. Badal said that for timely completion of this ambitious program of Prime Minister, it was strongly felt that the funding pattern for the construction of individual household toilets (IHHLs) under SBM(G) should not be changed. “Such a decision will be a retrograde step and if at all it is required, it may be implemented from the next financial year” he added.