World Bank offers $1.5 billion loan for Swachh Bharat Mission

The World Bank has approved a 1.5 billion dollars loan to support the Union government’s flagship cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
The loan funds would be used for SBM Support Operation Project and shall support SBM’s rural component known as SBM-Gramin (SBM-G). The loan has a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5 years.
Key facts

• SBM Support Operation Project aims at strengthening the implementation of the SBM initiative of the government.
• The project will support SBM-Gramin over a 5 year period using a new performance-based program.
• Two important components of this project are incentivising good performance by states and the focus on behavioural changes.
• Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) will be nodal agency for overseeing and coordinating role for the programme and support the participating states.
• The loan funds will be mainly used to develop the capacity of MDWS in program management, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Aims to ensure that all citizens have access to improved sanitation such as a toilet or latrine. It mainly focuses on changing behaviour of citizens in ending the practice of open defecation by 2019.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2015