NEW DELHI: The union and state governments have spent more than Rs 900 crore in the last three years to promote the Swachh Bharat Mission in the rural areas, the Parliament was informed today.
A total of Rs 257.76 crore, Rs 307.57 crore and Rs 375.98 crore have been spent on information, education and communication during 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 respectively under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) (SBM-G) by Centre and state governments, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Uma Bharati told the Rajya Sabha.
The total of Rs 941.31 crore have been spent by the Centre and the state governments to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship scheme in the three-year period, she said.
"The SBM-G guidelines and the programme stresses upon positive behaviour change and community mobilisation to promote toilet usage and to make villages open defecation free.
"Grass root volunteers and local government machinery with support from the local people organise activities to create behaviour change", she said.
The minister, however, conceded that there have been a few isolated incidents of arguments during persuasion of behaviour change have come to the notice of the government.
She said that the ministry has issued two advisories restraining officers from such unwarranted incidents.