Haryana to incentivise cleanliness, to include it in school curriculum

The Haryana government is going to incentivise cleanliness. For encouraging participation of panchayats in Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, the state government will offer cash awards in the range of Rs 5 and Rs 10 lakh to panchayats that would adopt solid and liquid waste management techniques.

Also to imbibe a sense of cleanliness among students from an early age, the state government has decided to include cleanliness in the school curriculum. One period on sanitation will be held every day in schools.

Speaking at the second meeting of the sub-group of chief ministers on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that apart from these measures, an award of at least `5 lakh would be given to panchayats who make their villages free from open defecation.

He said that during the first meeting of the sub-group held at New Delhi on April 30, he had stressed the need for increasing public participation in Swachh Bharat campaign for its success. He said efforts should also be made to rope in social organisations and other institutions in this campaign.

He suggested that special attention be paid towards the disposal of toxic waste and building construction waste in view of the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.

NAIDU FOR TAX REBATE TO WASTE MGMT PLANTS

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is also the convener of the sub-group, said waste management plants generating power should be given tax rebate. He said that he had requested the Union finance minister to give tax relaxation to these plants, considering the fact that the income generated from these plants was notional income. He said that 200 MW of power could be generated from 20,000 metric tonnes of waste.

While referring to Andhra Pradesh, he said that the cost per unit of electricity generated from these plants is `8 per unit and after tax exemption, this cost would come down to `5 per unit. In China, 210 such plants were operational, he said. He said, “We have directed all the regulatory boards of the Centre and the state to use 50% of garbage for power production”.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested creating a framework for the success of the campaign.

Fadanvis further said that waste management techniques should not be forced upon municipalities. For the successful implementation of these techniques, mayors and councillors would be given training in skill development.