Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 23 2008:
Maklang Gram Panchayat of Imphal West District has bagged the Nirmal Gram Puruskar, 2008 for 100 percent sanitation coverage of individual households, 100 percent school and Anganwadi sanitation coverage, cleaning environment and full awareness of safe drinking water.
This is he first and the only Gram Panchayat which has been honoured with such a prestigious award in Manipur.
The award carries Rs 2 lakh in cash, a citation and a memento.
Pradhan of Maklang Gram Panchayat Heisnam Subhaschandra Singh received the award from President of India Pratibha Devi Singh Patil during a function at Guwahati on October 20 .
Situated at a distance of about 13 km from Imphal along Imphal-Sangaithel Road, Maklang Gram Panchayat consists of in all eight wards having a total population of 4580
households.
The number of above poverty line (APL) and below poverty line (BPL) households in the Gram Panchayat are respectively 307 and 630 .
There are in all seven primary schools, three upper primary schools and 16 Anganwadi centres in the Gram Panchayat.
Since the launching of Total Sanitation Campaign, the Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat through Imphal West District Water & Sanitation Committee (IWDWSC), with full co-operation of the grassroots level workers, such as ward members, anganwadi workers, school teachers, social workers, villagers and later with ASHA, many awareness meetings have been conducted in different parts of the Gram Panchayat from time to time.
The IED campaign taken up by the IWDWSC such a Poster campaign, film shows, street plays, etc have got good outcome.
In the meantime, the Village Level Water and Sanitation Committee (VLWSC) for each ward of the Gram Panchayat have also been constituted and person to person contact at the household level by the members of VLWSC have also started.
The villagers started taking interest in the campaign and felt the importance of sanitary latrine.
Though Maklang Gram Panchayat has become the first and the only Gram Panchayat in Manipur which has received such a prestigious award, many more Gram Panchayat are expected to receive the same honour if the present trend of Total Sanitation Campaign continues.