It took a nationwide cleanliness campaign backed by the Centre to get Delhi’s civic bodies to take their sanitation responsibilities seriously by allocating more resources for the purpose. The Union Government’s ongoing Swachh Bharat campaign has given a boost to sanitation spending in the municipalities’ 2015-2016 budgets, which are being finalised currently. The chairpersons of the South, North and East civic bodies’ Standing Committees tabled the budgets in the respective House meetings earlier this week. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation will spend Rs.15 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Standing Committee chairperson Subhash Arya said. “We have focused on improving sanitation infrastructure this time. Expenditure on sanitation has increased by Rs.25 crore,” said Mr. Arya. A total of Rs.647.77 crore, or 17 per cent of the SDMC’s budget, will be spent on sanitation, including Rs.10 lakh for each of its 104 wards. Mr. Arya said an integrated sanitation plan will be in place by April 1, 2015. 5,000 new dustbins South Delhi markets will see 5,000 new dustbins, and each zone will have a pilot project of one RWA taking over sanitation. East Delhi Municipal Corporation will increase its expenditure on sanitation as well, said Standing Committee chairperson B.B. Tyagi, adding that the exact amount will be announced in the House next month. “Though we have financial problems, we will divert funds towards sanitation. Each of our 64 councillors will be given Rs.25 lakh for sanitation work in their wards,” said Mr. Tyagi. In North Delhi, according to municipal commissioner Pravin Kumar Gupta’s proposal, Rs.769.77 crore will be spent on sanitation. North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Yogender Chandolia said the civic body would upgrade its public toilet complexes and procure more garbage trucks. He added that the civic bodies would be getting additional funding from the Centre for implementing various initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission.