-PTI Kolkata: West Bengal's Nadia district is poised to complete building toilets for all its residents by next March, under a programme which has been shortlisted for the United Nations global award for public service. Nadia district magistrate P B Salim told PTI that 95 percent of the people had already stopped defecating in the open and by this March they would achieve a 100 percent Open Defecation-free status. His scheme "Sobar...

-The Hindustan Times The urban leg of Swachh Bharat Mission could be going to the cleaners as the Centre and the states have yet to clean up their act on the funding pattern to sustain the Rs. 62,009 crore programme. The mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi more than two months ago to encourage cleanliness in cities and to build loos to discourage defecation in the open in urban India is...

-Business Standard The government to set up a 'Swachh Bharat Kosh' to provide tax and fiscal incentives The Centre would spend around Rs 2,00,000 crore over the next five years for the Swachh Bharat Mission, said M Venkaiah Naidu, Union minister for urban development. The minister also said the government would set up a 'Swachh Bharat Kosh' to provide tax and fiscal incentives. The minister said urban India generates about 68.8 million tonnes...

-Down to Earth Employment guarantee, rural road and sanitation schemes among those likely to be affected The upcoming budget will see social sectors face huge cuts in funds. Ministries concerned with infrastructure works, on the other hand, will be given with more funds. These include ministries of shipping, road and transport, telecom and power. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has directed the Union Ministry of Finance to include these budget adjustments in the...

-Employment News The article discusses some of the features of the newly proposed Swachch Bharat Abhiyan. Though the detailed guidelines of the programme have not been issued yet, a preliminary assessment has been made from the information available in the public domain. The article highlights that the high degree of policy priority accorded to sanitation with the introduction of the programme could go a long way in achieving an Open Defecation...