In a boost to the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have agreed to provide assistance in the critical areas of capacity building of implementing agencies.
This would include urban local bodies, technology transfer, technical support, sharing of best sanitation practices and implementation and monitoring.
To this effect, USAID today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Urban Development, while BGMF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
These memoranda were signed by Urban Development Secretary Shankar Aggarwal, John Beed, Country Director of USAID and Girindre Beehary, Country Director, BMGF.
Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu and U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma were present on the occasion.
These memoranda were signed in pursuance of the agreements reached during the summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barak Obama in September last year.