In a significant boost to its sanitation and rural development drive, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top-performing state in the country for constructing individual household toilets in the current financial year. The state accounted for a substantial 28% of the total toilets built across India, according to data presented to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Leading the Sanitation Drive
The figures were shared with the Chief Minister during a review meeting with the Panchayati Raj department on Friday. The national tally for toilet construction stood at 17.26 lakh units, with Uttar Pradesh contributing a major share. The state was given an individual target of 9.67 lakh toilets for the fiscal year. Officials reported that 4.79 lakh toilets have been constructed so far, securing UP's first position among all states in this critical category.
Beyond sanitation, progress on plastic waste management was also discussed. Against a target of establishing 282 plastic waste management units, the state has completed 103 units across 304 development blocks. An additional 132 units are currently under construction, indicating continued focus on environmental cleanliness.
Revenue Collection and Infrastructure Directives
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commended the department for its exemplary performance in revenue collection. The department has already collected Rs 271.48 crore by November, which represents a remarkable 140.89% of the current year's target. This is a sharp increase from the 81.23% collection achieved against a target of Rs 334 crore in the previous financial year.
During the meeting, the CM issued clear directives for accelerating rural infrastructure projects. He instructed officials to ensure the completion of Utsav Bhavans (community halls) in all gram panchayats and to expand this scheme to the block level. For holistic village development, he proposed the creation of integrated campuses in gram panchayats where feasible.
Vision for Integrated Villages and NRI Connect
These integrated campuses would combine multiple facilities for community welfare and recreation. The CM suggested these campuses should include arrangements for a school, Utsav Bhavan, sports ground, open gym, park, and model shop. He emphasized that public representatives must be actively involved in the process of selecting land for these projects to ensure transparency and local buy-in.
In a move to strengthen the connection with the diaspora, CM Yogi focused on the Matribhumi Yojana. He directed the department to connect more expatriates from Uttar Pradesh with this scheme, which allows them to fund development projects in their ancestral villages or areas. The projects funded under this scheme should be named after the ancestors of the contributing expatriates. Furthermore, the CM stated that such benefactors should be honored in state-level programs to inspire others to contribute to their homeland's development.
To improve grassroots governance and awareness, the Chief Minister also advocated for organizing open chaupals (public forums) in every gram panchayat. These forums would serve the dual purpose of informing citizens about various government schemes and carrying out verification of beneficiaries, ensuring that benefits reach the intended recipients.
