Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister, Sh. Krishan Lal Panwar, participated in a meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister, Sh. C.R. Patil, in New Delhi today. During the meeting, Sh. Panwar assured the Union Minister that Haryana will be the first state in the country to achieve the targets set for states under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural). He stated that 100 percent of rural households in Haryana have been provided with toilet facilities, and water supply has been ensured in every home with ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’ scheme.
He said that a special cleanliness campaign was conducted in the state from July 1 to August 15, 2024, to promote community participation. Over 3 lakh people actively took part in this campaign. Haryana has a total of 6,619 villages, out of which 6,419 have been declared ODF Plus villages, out of which 2,500 ODF Plus Model Villages.
Districts such as Mahendragarh, Hisar, Ambala, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Nuh, Yamunanagar, Palwal, and Gurugram have over 80 percent villages categorised as ODF Plus Model Villages. For the financial year 2024-25, 193 villages have been declared ODFPlus, 1,272 villages as ODF Plus Model Villages, and 1,855 ODF Plus Model Villages have been verified.
Besides this, solid waste management has been implemented in over 65 percent of villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission, he added. Sh. Panwar urged the Union Minister to release funds from the central government to further accelerate the Swachh Bharat Mission initiatives in the state.
He said that while the target for cleanliness under the 15th Finance Commission was Rs.229.6 crore for 2024-25, the state has already spent Rs.373 crore. Commissioner and Secretary, Rural development Department, Dr. Amit Agrawal, along with other officers remained present during the meeting.