Of Rs 422 crore Swachh Bharat funds, Rs 199 crore used in 5 years in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Out of the total Rs 422 crore released by the central government during the last five years under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) to achieve garbage-free status for all cities and eradication of open defecation, Punjab could hardly use Rs 199 crore.
Though under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0, the central allocation to Punjab is Rs 1,054 crore for five years till 2025-26, central share funds amounting to only Rs 193 crore released by the Centre have been claimed by the state.Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Kaushal Kishore shared this information in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing budget session of Parliament while replying to a question raised by Punjab MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney.
The fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and states for Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0, is 25:75 for cities with a population of over 10 lakh, 33:67 for cities with a population between 1-10 lakh, and 50:50 for cities having less than one lakh population. The cash-starved Punjab government had failed to contribute its share in many central government schemes in the past.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 has been launched with the vision of achieving garbage-free status for all cities through segregation of waste from all households and premises, 100% door-to-door collection and 100% scientific management, including safe disposal in scientific landfills. The mission also emphasizes that all legacy dumpsites are remediated and converted into green zones, said the Union minister.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) was initially launched on October 2, 2014. The central government’s share under this scheme is released to the concerned state governments and UTs, which further allocate funds to urban local bodies as per the action plan approved by the state high power committee and state-level technical committee.