The sixth meeting of the National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC) under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G) Phase II for consideration of the Annual Implementation Plans of all the State/UTs for the financial year 2025-26 was held in New Delhi.

The virtual meeting was chaired by Shri Ashok Kumar Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry Jal Shakti. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary, DDWS, applauded the National SBM-G team, all the supporting Ministries/Departments of MoPR, MoRD and MoHUA and teams of the State/UTs for having achieved 76% ODF Plus Model villages as of March 2025.

Commenting on the AIPs and the targets therein, the Secretary DDWS applauded the commendable achievements under SBM-G and emphasized the remarkable progress witnessed in 2024-25, attributing it to the collective effort of all States/UTs, Partners, and the National Team.

The Secretary DDWS also underscored the crucial role of local communities, partners, and existing networks of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as pivotal to the program's success, portraying them not merely as partners but as leaders driving initiatives forward. He highlighted the importance of State Water & Sanitation Mission (SWSM) and District Water & Sanitation Mission (DWSM) who must play a proactive role in overseeing program implementation, convergence, and sustainability efforts at the regional level.

He outlined three fundamental principles that will guide this year’s sanitation initiatives. “First, all waste—solid and liquid—generated in rural areas should be treated as close to the source as possible. Second, an integrated approach to solid waste management, liquid waste management, faecal sludge management (FSM), and plastic waste, along with sustained ODF status, will be the key focus. Third, every village must become an ODF Plus Model village within this year, ensuring that no village is left behind. By March 2025, the mission aims to achieve 100% ODF Plus Model status across the country,” the Secretary DDWS said.

He emphasized that SBM-G must collaborate closely with JJM to strengthen the WASH agenda, ensuring that all relevant authorities, including the health sector, work together for a holistic approach. With over 50% of villages still awaiting verification, he underscored the importance of completing this crucial process, making the most of this final implementation year of SBM-G Phase-II.

Making a presentation, Shri Jitendra Srivastava, Joint Secretary and Mission Director SBM-G, gave an overview of achievements of SBM-G Phase II and the physical and financial targets for the financial year 2025-26.

Meeting concluded with the approval of the Annual Implementation Plan 2025-26 for all the State/UTs and commended the State/UTs for their efforts to achieve an ODF Plus Model rural India by 2025-26 and emphasized on collective efforts to achieve the ambitious target.

The meeting was attended by members of the NSSC – Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, DDWS; Joint Secretary, representatives from the Ministry of Panchayat Raj and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; JS & MD, SBM-G, DDWS; and ACS/Pr. Secretary/Secretary in-charge of rural sanitation of the States/UTs. Non-official members of the NSSC were also present.

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Dhanya Sanal K

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