The Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign began at Sundarnagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh today to create awareness among the common people about the central sponsored schemes being implemented in the state. The three-day campaign organized by the Press Information Bureau, Shimla was inaugurated by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Mr Jai Ram Thakur by lighting the lamp.

He said that the central sponsored schemes like MNREGA, Total Sanitation Programme and Indira Awash Yojna are being implemented affectively by the State State Government in comparison with other states.

He said that under Sanitation Programme after Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh is coming up as the second state to be declared soon as a complete Nirmal Pradesh in the country. Referring to the larger participation of women in this programme, he said that there were only 500 Open Defecation Free Panchayat, ODF in 2007 which has gone up to 2743.

He said that the state government is doing excellent work in implementing MNREGA Scheme under which 1913 crores rupees has been spent during the last four years and 510 crore during the last fiscal year. He said that participation of women in development process has increased following the implementation of 50 per cent reservation of women in panchayati raj institutions in the state.

He also stressed on better coordination between the state and central governments in spreading the benefits of these progrmmes upto the grass root level. He lauded the efforts of PIB and other media units of Information and Broadcasting Ministry in disseminating the information about Bharat Nirman flagship programmes to the nook and corner of the state specially in the rural areas.