Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said each Panchayat in the country will get twenty lakh rupees for solid waste management. Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram Mr Ramesh said,for setting up solid waste management systems,Central funding will be 70 per cent and the remaining 30 per cent will have to be born by the States. As per this norm,Kerala will get around 200 crore rupees as there are 978 Panchayats in the State.

The Minister said for setting up modern toilet facilities,thirty five thousand crore rupees has been allocated during the 12th five year plan,under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan Scheme.He said an innovative technology will be formulated for setting up modern toilet facilities in the Railways,with the cooperation of the Bill Gates Foundation.

The Union Minister disclosed that Kerala will become totally open defaecation-free state by November this year. Earlier,Jairam Ramesh held discussions with State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy,State Rural Development Minister K.C.Joseph and Panchayat Minister Dr.M.K.Muneer on issues relating to Nirmal Puraskar.