Govt approaches private firms for financing Swachh Bharat Mission

The government is reaching out to private players for financing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project of Swachh Bharat Mission, a top government official said on Friday. State-run firms or PSUs are looking to contribute to the Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) from their CSR funds, Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer said.

"We have been in touch with private firms, many have shown interest to donate to the Swachh Bharat Kosh," he said.

Established in November 2014 under the Finance Ministry, SBK seeks to attract CSR funds and contributions from individuals and philanthropists in response to Modi's I-Day speech that year in which he had given a call for achieving the goal of Clean India by 2019. Total fund mobilised under the SBK as on January 31 stood at Rs 369.74 crore.

Iyer also enumerated contributions made by ministries of mines, corporate affairs and public enterprises towards the Swachh Bharat Pakhwada held earlier.

In last year's budget, the government had proposed a 2 per cent Swachh Bharat cess on Service Tax and allowed 100 per cent deduction on investment in SBK. Meanwhile, the government is also exploring the option where entities can adopt villages and maker them open defecation free.