Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced the launch of the Gobar Dhan scheme to manage and convert cattle dung and solid water into compost and bio-fuel.
Jaitley said the scheme was part of the government's effort to make villages open defecation free and improve the lives of villagers.
The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (Gobar Dhan) "will manage and convert cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, bio-gas and bio-CNG", the Minister said.
He also announced that 187 projects were sanctioned under the Namami Gange Programme for infrastructure development, reverse surface cleaning, rural sanitation and other interventions at a cost of Rs 16,713 crore.
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He said 47 of these projects have been completed and the remaining projects were at various stages of execution.
"All 4,465 Ganga Grams villages on the bank of the river have been declared open defecation free."
The government had identified 115 districts taking various indices of development into consideration, aiming at improving the quality of life in these districts by investing in social services like health, education, nutrition, skill up gradation, financial inclusion and infrastructure like irrigation, rural electrification, potable drinking water and access to toilets at an accelerated pace and in a time bound manner.
These 115 districts are expected to become models of development, the Finance Minister said.
