Swachh Bharat mission: Dedicated joint secretary to handle initiative

Sources said the ministry is considering handing over the responsibility to B Anand, a Tamil Nadu-cadre joint secretary-level IAS officer, who was posted to the department last week.

“B Anand is expected to take charge soon. Once that happens, the ministry will take a call on whether to hand over the Swachh Bharat Mission Director’s charge to him or whether to let Prakash hold the sole charge while freeing him of other charges,” said a source.

Officials said the dedicated post has been created so as to “enable focused monitoring and coordination of mission activities with all the states and Union territories by a senior officer as Mission Director”.

The Rs 62,009 crore urban part of the Swachh Bharat mission was launched in October last year with the aim of constructing 1.04 crore individual household toilets, 5.08 lakh community/ public toilets and ensuring 100 per cent door-to-door collection and scientific disposal in all 4,041 statutory cities and towns.

However, till date, only 6 lakh individual and 28,948 public/ community toilets have been constructed under the mission.

“When the Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas was approved by the government, a post of director was approved. Subsequently, on the proposal of the MoUD, the government has approved upgrading of the post of director to that of joint secretary,” said the official.