According to the information on the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II dashboard, 5.70 lakh of 5.86 lakh villages have been declared ‘ODF Plus’ so far. (Image generated using AI)The Centre has extended the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II until March 2028, allowing the government to allocate around Rs 7,000 crore for its flagship rural sanitation scheme in the Union Budget 2027-28.According to sources, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti had approached the Finance Ministry for extension approval, and it was granted on Tuesday.The DDWS must ensure that all villages achieve the required ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus’ status, within the program’s overall outlay, by the end of March 2028. The DDWS defines an ‘ODF Plus’ village as “a village which sustains its ODF status, ensures solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean”.In its order, the Finance Ministry said, “DDWS shall ensure that remaining villages get ODF plus certificate by 31st March 2028… No further time extension beyond 31st March 2028 would be considered.”Also Read | ‘Swachhata Hi Seva 2026’ campaign commences today5.70 lakh villages declared ‘ODF Plus’The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the scheme’s second phase on February 19, 2020. It was initially scheduled to end in 2024-25 but was later extended until the end of the 15th Finance Commission period. The scheme was approved for implementation until March 2027.According to the information available on the scheme’s dashboard, 5.70 lakh of 5.86 lakh villages have been declared ‘ODF Plus’ so far.Also Read | 10 years of Swachh Bharat Mission: Its aims and status on key targetsRs 7,192 crore allocated for 2026-27In 2020, the Centre had approved an overall outlay of Rs 1,40,881 crore, of which Rs 52,497 crore has to be provided from the DDWS’ budget, while the remaining amount was planned to be dovetailed from the funds being released under the 15th Finance Commission, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and revenue generation models, particularly for solid and liquid waste management.Story continues below this adIn six years, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, Rs 28,726 crore from the DDWS budget has been spent on the programme. An amount of Rs 7,192 crore has been allocated for the 2026-27 financial year.Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)-II, the Centre and states share the cost of all components in the following ratios: 90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, including Jammu and Kashmir; 60:40 for other states; and 100:0 for Union Territories.Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in re... Read More