NEW DELHI, July 26:
Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday came to the aid of Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi in Lok Sabha when he took upon himself the responsibility to reply to supplementary questions from members.
In the absence of ‘Cabinet Minister’ for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharati, her junior colleague Mr Jigajinagi apparently sought the ‘help’ of Mr Tomar to answer to the supplementary queries including from Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress).
Mr Tomar, who has held the portfolio of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2016, said child mortality has decreased considerably due to various development programmes of the Government including the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
Citing World Health Organisation data, Mr Tomar said, due to improves cleanliness in various parts of the country, the number of child mortality has come down by 75,000 during 2014 to 2018.
The Congress MP from West Bengal Mr Chowdhury said the Vigilance and Monitoring committee on cleanliness to which he is the chairman has not met for last six years.
Responding to him, RD Minister Mr Tomar suggested that the responsibility of holding such meetings are with the state government and thus the Congress could take the help of Trinamool leaders like Saugata Roy.
Mr Tomar also said that the capacity building programmes have been reoriented to achieve Open Defecation Free outcomes through community approach Asking supplementary questions, Trinamool Congress MP Ratna De Nag said the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been going on successfully in Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal and 14 of 23 districts have been already declared ODF.
Meanwhile, sources in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation said Ms Uma Bharati is indisposed and thus could not attend Thursday’s proceedings. (UNI)
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