New Delhi: City governments in Uttar Pradesh will provide an additional assistance of Rs.12,000 per each individual household toilet to be built in the urban areas of Uttar Pradesh to enable all the 655 statutory cities and towns in the State become ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF)’ by October, 2022, under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014.

The decision regarding additional assistance for toilet building was taken during a high level review of progress in Uttar Pradesh of new urban missions launched by the central government during the last three years. The three hour long  review held in Lucknow today was chaired by Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary (Housing & Urban Affairs), Government of India and Shri Rajiv Kumar, Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh. National and State level Mission Directors of six new urban missions besides senior officials of central and state governments attended the review.

In Uttar Pradesh, construction of about eight lakh individual household toilets is being targeted out of which 1.56 lakh toilets have so far been built. Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), central and state governments provide assistance of Rs.4,000 each viz., a total of Rs.8,000 per each toilet. Urban Local Bodies will now provide an additional Rs.12,000 each to give a momentum to toilet building. Grants given to city governments under the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission will be used for this purpose, the State official explained.

Mishra complimented the State Government for its efforts to speed up implementation of new urban missions. Areas that needed improvement were also identified and discussed in detail. The review covered implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart City Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -NULM.

Under Atal Mission, 13.30 lakh urban households in Uttar Pradesh will be provided tap water connections, informed the officials. Water supply and sewerage networks are being improved in the State under this mission with  an investment of Rs.11,176 cr. Parks and open spaces are being developed in cities and towns at a cost of Rs.246 cr. 

Rajiv Kumar, Chief Secretary (Uttar Pradesh) directed the concerned officials to ensure that adequate number of housing proposals are sent to the centre regularly over the next one year for approval so as to meet the demand for affordable housing in the State. He also directed to ensure time bound implementation of various projects in Varanasi.

After the official level review, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary to Government of India met the Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath and briefed him about the urban missions. Chief Minister was given a detailed account of Varanasi development projects including redevelopment of Varanasi Nagar Nigam building. Chief Minister suggested to Shri Mishra to explore providing proper connectivity between Delhi and the proposed airport at Jewar.