New Delhi, Nov. 17 President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday said that good Sanitation practices are the key to a healthy life style and Gram Panchayats play a pivotal role in sanitation promotion.

Distributing the Nirmal Gram Puraskars for the year 2009 at Vigyan Bhawan here, she highlighted the importance of the proper sanitation facilities for the people at grass root level.

She called on all the winning panchayats to sustain the level of sanitation they have achieved.

Over 1000 awardees and invitees gathered for Nirmal Gram Puraskar function today where 28 Block Panchayats and 2 District Panchayats having attained the status of Nirmal status of being open defacation free received the award from the President.

The President quoting the emphasis on the rural development by the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi said he also gave priority for the spread of awareness among the villagers about the importance of Sanitation.

She suggested that with the increased awareness we will be able to construct and manage better toilets and also set the highest standards of sanitation in the country.

Highlighting the need of toilet facilities in schools, anganwadies, Patil said the need of the hour was to give prominence to the role of women in villages.

It would be imperative to have the women Self Help Groups, anganwadi and other women institutions as an integral part of the campaign.

Referring to NREGA, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, National Rural Self Employment Scheme, National Rural Health Mission Patil said there should be proper opportunities of enhancing productivity in villages so that the rural people are not only a mute spectator of country's progress but also take part in it. (ANI)