BERHAMPUR: Construction of individual household latrines (IHHL) under Swachh Bharat Mission is in a limbo in Kalyani Sahi village under Chandapur panchayat of Rangeilunda block, which was accorded open defecation free (ODF) status recently.
Kalyani Sahi is home to over 100 people of 21 families, mostly rickshaw pullers and daily labourers. The village bore the maximum brunt of cyclone Phailin in 2013 as all the houses were razed in the natural calamity. The affected villagers had to take shelter at a Government school for a considerable amount of time.
Following the cyclone, only seven out of 21 families were provided houses under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). Sources said though IHHL construction was taken up in the backyard of houses, the toilets are yet to be completed as beneficiaries have still not received the promised Rs 2,000 under the scheme. “Since the construction of the latrines is incomplete, we are not able to use them,” said Renu Das, Jogendra Das, Abhimanyu Das, Kalara Das, Kama Das, Punia Das and Narmada Das who got houses under IAY.
Similarly, families of Sanju Das, Banita Das, Abhimayu Behera, Ulla Das, Jayanti Das, Rita Das, Gita Das and Santosh Das, which were recently included in the IHHL scheme, also have unfinished latrines in their house backyard. “We have already paid the money to the contractor, but as the toilets are incomplete we are forced to defecate in the open,” they said.
Block Development Officer (BDO) of Rangeilunda Kumar Nagbhusan said, “We have already disbursed the final bill amount to the account of beneficiaries to construct the latrines.” Though beneficiaries have deposited the specific amount with the contractor, the latter has failed to complete construction work of the latrines.