Bharat Nirman Campaign begins at Heirok
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, December 17 2013: A three day Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign (PIC) was inaugurated at Fine Society Ground at Heirok in Thoubal district today.

The Bharat Nirman PIC was organised by Press Information Bureau (PIB), Imphal in collaboration with Directorate of Field Publicity, Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity, Song and Drama Division, All India Radio and Doordarshan.

The other coordinating agencies include District administration, different departments of Government of Manipur and Fine Society, Heirok.

Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro Singh and MLA Kangujam Ranjit of Sugnu AC attended the formal inauguration function.

Commissioner of Higher and technical education P Vaiphei and DC T Ranjit of Thoubal district were the guests of honour.

Superintendent of Police Dr Ak Jhaljit Singh also attended the function.

Speaking at the occasion, Education Minister Okendro stated that the awareness programme on central government's 16 flagship programmes will give benefit to the people as many are not aware of the central schemes taken up the government and urged the public to learn and gain knowledge on such schemes.

Earlier highlighting the objective of organising PIC in her opening remark, Media and Communication Officer Premlata Loitam of PIB Imphal appealed the general public to spread awareness on the importance of the central sponsored flagship programmes in the state and take advantage of the campaign.

Different State Government departments displayed various government sponsored development activities and other flagship programs by opening 25 stalls during the PIC.

A magic show by artists of Imphal Artists' Union and a theme based play on National Food Security Act followed and another short play besides a sequence of entertaining songs by Mass Theatre Paona Bazar Imphal artistes also enthralled the day's inauguration function which was attended by villagers of Heirok and its neighbouring villages.

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan: .

Thoubal district achieves Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan's 2013-14 targets Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) has achieved its 2013-14 targets in Manipur's Thoubal district as 4878 sanitary latrines against the targeted 4800 have been constructed till date, said RK Somio, CCDU, PHED Government of Manipur on Tuesday.

He conveyed this while speaking as resource person on the first day of the first day of a three-day Public Information Campaign organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Imphal at Heirok in Thoubal district of Manipur.

The resource person reminded that the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) is a comprehensive programme to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation.

Government of India first launched the programme for eradication of the practice of open defecation as part of total sanitation programme in 1986 as Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP).

It was later renamed as Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in 1999 by giving emphasized on IEC to create awareness.

Since then the rural sanitation scenario has improved considerably, achieving 70% (National) coverage of IHHLs, RK Somio said.

However, the same programme was again renamed as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) in April 2012 and has been successfully implemented in Manipur by achieving 75.50% of the target.

NFSA: Hectic efforts are on to implement the NFSA by Manipur Government from the early part of next year, 2014 said Salam Enaomacha, senior journalist who spoke as resource person today.

The move is likely to benefit about 23.87 lakh people out of a total population of about 28 lakh of the state and of this targeted beneficiaries, 16.82 lakh would be from rural populace, he maintained.

Manipur government is considering updating the proposed beneficiaries by including families which did not own four-wheelers and those who did not pay taxes as eligible beneficiary of the scheme.

Families whose annual incomes were less than Rs one lakh, disabled persons and people living with HIV would also get benefits under National Food Security Act (NFSA), Enaomacha added.

The beneficiaries would get five kg of rice per head at Rs 3 per kg every month besides dal, wheat and other commodities at the lowest price.

Village Water Sanitation Committee: .

Altogether 59 Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) have been constituted to provide drinking water supply facilities to around 110 habitations in Thoubal district.

This was disclosed by the Section Officer A Kumar of Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) Thoubal division.

Thus Thoubal has the largest number of VWSCs among all the nine districts.

Four VWSCs including committees for Heirok part I and II, Heirok Part II, Salungpham and Kang Yambem and Ningel, have been formed for Heirok area.

The steps to form the VWSC were taken across the state since later part of October last year in a move to provide pipeline water to every household, he said.

So far the PHE Department has provided pipeline water to many households in Thoubal district.

For the smooth functioning of VWSCs, the PHE department has also been providing necessary equipment including tools and chemicals, he added.

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