'Dual funding responsible for failure of Ganga cleaning schemes'

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Monday attributed the failures in implementation of earlier schemes for cleaning Ganga rive to the dual financial model between central and state governments.

"The delays and failures in implementation of schemes in the past for river cleaning were mainly due to a dual financial model that is central-state financial model," Bharti said here.

Detailed project reports not getting completed on time and lack of ownership and responsibility among stakeholders were other stumbling blocks, she said.

"All these gaps are now being internalised where a new financial model of implementation is likely to emerge that ensures 100 percent central scheme and allocation of Rs.20,000 crore straight from the central pool," Bharti said.

Noting that cleaning Ganga was a collective responsibility, she said her ministry has a mandate to meet the river cleaning target by October 2018.