India, World Bank ink 1.5 billion U.S. dollars loan pact for Clean India campaign

India and the World Bank on Wednesday inked a 1.5 billion U.S. dollars loan pact for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Clean India campaign.

Officials said the pact pledges support to India's universal sanitation initiative that aims at ensuring all rural Indians have access to improved sanitation, thus eliminating the practice of open defecation in the next three years.

"The project will promote behaviour change among rural communities and help accelerate results in India's states by giving performance-based incentives," Raj Kumar, a senior official of the Department of Economic Affairs, told the media in the national capital.

"One in every 10 deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation. This project will result in significant health benefits for the poor and vulnerable, especially those living in rural areas," said Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director, India. Endit