17 Nov : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave away the Nirmal Gram Puraskar 2009 to districts and Block Panchayats from Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal for achieving total sanitation in their respective areas at a function in New Delhi.
The Panchayati Raj Institutions that have attained full sanitation are awarded the prestigious Nirmal Gram Puraskar every year.
President Patil lauded the role of panchayati raj institutions in building rural infrastructure.
The President also said that the practice of scavengers though banned is still prevalent and must be eradicated at the earliest through strong social measures.
The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri C.P. Joshi and the Ministers of State for Rural Development, Ms. Agatha Sangma and Shri Pradeep Jain were also present on the occasion.