June 07, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1428

MARDAN, June 6: The chief executive, Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Mardan, Syed Shah Nasir, has said the IRDP has achieved 100 per cent target regarding the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) scheme in Inzargi village of the Sribehlol Union Council.

Addressing a gathering of locals at a restaurant at Takhtbai on Wednesday, Nasir said that the IRDP took the scheme of the CLTS with the assistance of the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Takhtbai at the Inzargi village of Sribehlol Union Council where villagers were educated regarding sanitation and latrines were constructed in their houses.

He said that the total budget of the TMA Takhtbai was Rs 30 million out of which Rs 15 million was for salaries and the rest for developmental works, and added that nothing was available for health.

He said if villagers wash their hands before eating their meals and after using the latrine, a large number of diseases can be avoided.

The nazim, TMA, Takhtbai, Mian Tahir, said that Rs200,000 would be given to the Inzargi village.

He promised that such awards would also be extended to other villages if they took care of the sanitation in their houses.

He said that cleanliness was not only a religious matter but it was also in the interest of their health to keep themselves clean.

District Nazim Mardan Himayatullah Mayar also announced Rs50,000 for the Inzargi village and promised that the district government of Mardan would donate Rs50,000 to other villages if they introduced CLTS in their houses.

MPA of Takhtbai Mian Nadir Shah also announced Rs 100,000 for each of the 17 union councils in Takhtbai tehsil in case locals were able to introduce CLTS schemes successfully in their houses.

The country director, Swiss Development Cooperation, Nicolb Ruder, while talking to this correspondent, said that she was extremely impressed by the women who wholeheartedly cooperated with the NGO and the TMA, Takhtbai.

District Nazim Himayatullah Mayar, MPA Mian Nadir Shah and Nazim Tehktbai Tehsil Mian Tahir were also present on the occasion.