TS secures 1st place in Swachh Survekshan Grameen rankings

Hyderabad: Telangana State has been ranked first in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen rankings in the Large States category under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-G). The State has bagged 12 awards, with Nizamabad and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts being ranked first and second respectively in the Overall Top Districts category in South Zone.

The Ministry of Jal Shakthi's National Jal Jeevan Mission under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) on Thursday announced the rankings. SBM-G Mission Director Vikas Sheel in a letter to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said the awards would be presented on October 2 during the Swachh Bharat Diwas celebrations in New Delhi.

"All the credit goes to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao. I thank all the elected public representatives and officials, who extended their support in effective implementation of the Palle Pragathi programme," Panchayat raj and Rural Development Minister E Dayakar Rao said in a statement.

Ever since the Telangana government launched the Palle Pragathi programme, the State has been bagging several awards instituted by the Centre. In February this year, seven villages from the State were ranked among the top 10 villages under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) of the Union Ministry of Rural Development. This was followed by 19 villages from Telangana bagging 19 national awards in the annual awards announced by the union Ministry of Rural Development. The State Government, to ensure comprehensive development of rural areas, has been releasing Rs.227.50 crore every month as grants. With the State government releasing funds monthly to gram panchayats, villages are taking up various developmental activities like segregation of dry and wet waste, setting up of nurseries, manufacturing vermicompost through waste also.