Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

22-November-2012 20:21 IST

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation to extend the ongoing scheme of Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme into the 12th Five Year Plan with revised features and cost estimates.

The Government of India would extend the financial support to the State Governments for total eradication of the dry latrines from the urban areas at an estimated cost of Rs.481.45 crore, out of which the central share would be Rs. 367.33 crore and the rest will be borne by the State Governments and beneficiaries in the ratio of 3:1.

The cost ceiling has been realigned from the current level of Rs.10,000 (fixed in 2008) to Rs.15,000 and enhanced support has been announced for adoption of eco-friendly technologies like bio-digesters etc.

The obnoxious practice of manual scavenging or engaging fellow human beings into cleaning the untreated human excreta has been banned under the "Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrine (Prohibition) Act, 1993" which prohibits construction and/or maintenance of dry latrines and employment of manual scavengers.

During the 11th Plan period under the ILCS scheme GOI had provided financial support for conversion of approximately 2.52 lakh dry latrines and construction of 1.56 lakh new toilets to economically weaker section households who had no toilets. All the States had reported that conversion has been complete. However, Census of India 2010 had pointed that out that nearly 2.08 Lakh latrines still exist in urban areas where the night soil is removed by humans. Out of this, more than 50% (1.06 lakh) exist in Uttar Pradesh only.

***
SH/SK

Sanitation scheme extension expands central funding and raises cost ceiling to support eco friendly sanitation and eliminate dry latrines. Extension of the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme into the Twelfth Five Year Plan provides renewed central financial support, with a revised central share and State beneficiary cost sharing, raises the per unit cost ceiling, and affords enhanced support for eco friendly sanitation technologies; the release reiterates the statutory prohibition on manual scavenging and frames the scheme as the instrument to eliminate remaining urban dry latrines.