Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme - Revised guidelines by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (2008)

The objective of the scheme is to convert or construct low cost sanitation units through sanitary two pit pour flush latrines with superstructures and appropriate variations to suit local conditions (area specific latrines) and construct new latrines where economically weaker sections household have no latrines and follow the in-human practice of defecating in the open in urban areas. This would improve overall sanitation in the towns.

Towns are to be selected from the various States and Union Territories irrespective of their population criteria and also persons belonging to economically weaker sections households who have no latrines and defecate in the open in urban areas. Depending upon the prevalence of dry latrines targets will be fixed. Priority is to be given to those towns which have a predominance of dry latrines. Scheme will be applicable to all towns where dry units exist or for persons who have no latrines and defecate in the open.

The guidelines present the eligibility conditions of the scheme. The scheme covers all the economically weaker sections households, which have dry latrines and construct new latrines where economically weaker sections household have no latrines. The scheme is limited to economically weaker sections households only.

The scheme will be funded in the following manner -

• Central subsidy 75 per cent, State subsidy 15 per cent and beneficiary share 10 per cent.
• The upper ceiling cost of Rs. 10,000 may be fixed for the complete unit of a two pit pour flush individual latrine with superstructure (excluding States falling in difficult/hilly areas). For the States falling in the category of difficult and hilly areas, 25 per cent extra cost may be provided for each two pit pour flush latrine. In other words, in States falling in the category of difficult and hilly areas, the upper ceiling cost will be Rs. 12,500 for one complete LCS unit.
• 1 per cent of total central allocation may be retained by the Ministry every year, to be utilized for MIS, Monitoring System, Capacity Building and IEC components.

The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation directly. First installment of Government of India subsidy will be sanctioned along with signing of Grant Agreement subject to the condition that actual release of central subsidy will be made in two installments related to actual demand of implementing agencies on their utilization capacity and field level demand. 25 per cent of the subsidy will be released immediately after approval of the scheme.

The urban local bodies or the state agencies designated/selected by the State Governments may send their proposals to the State Government, who after approval of the proposals by the State Coordination Committee will forward the same to the Regional Offices of HUDCO. Regional Offices of HUDCO after appraisal of the same will send the same to the HUDCO Headquarters. HUDCO Headquarters will scrutinize the proposals and send them to the Central Coordination Committee.

Download the guidelines here -