The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) – Sikkim, under the Rural Management and Development Department, bagged two more ‘Swachh Bharat Puraskar 2018’ awards during the Swachh Bharat Diwas celebration and awards distribution function organised by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Government of India at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi.
Sikkim was awarded the 1st prize in the ‘Cleanest State’ category for the North-East region. The award was given by Union Minister for Drinking Water & Sanitation Uma Bharti and was received by Anil Raj Rai, special secretary-cum-mission director, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Sikkim, RM&DD.
Similarly, the East District of Sikkim was awarded the 3rd prize in the ‘Cleanest District’ category for the North-East region.
Urvashi Poudyal, additional district collector (Development) – Pakyong, RM&DD received the award on behalf of the east district from the hands of the Union Minister for Drinking Water & Sanitation.
The awards were conferred to acknowledge the top performers of the ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen – 2018’, a pan-India survey initiated by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Government of India to develop ranking of the 680 districts based on their rural sanitation status.
The survey was based on a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters including data from the SBM-G IMIS, district-level surveys of public places like schools, Anganwadis, PHCs, Haat bazaars, panchayat and citizen’s perception of Swachhata and their recommendations for improvement of the program.
An independent agency hired by the Ministry visited the villages to undertake the survey of public places and obtain citizens’ feedback. As part of the Survekshan, States and districts were ranked for their sanitation and cleanliness status. The survey was conducted from the August 1st to 31st, 2018.
This was stated in an official press release issued in Gangtok on Wednesday.