BERHAMPUR: Sarpanch of Goutami panchayat in Sanakhemundi block of Ganjam district has adopted a novel tactic to prevent people from defecating in the open.If anybody from the village is found defecating in open, then his/her name will be deleted from the list of beneficiaries who have been issued ration cards for availing subsidised food grains under public distribution system.
Swain said a list of beneficiaries who have their own toilets has been prepared by the panchayat.
People who do not have toilets at their homes have been asked to apply for the same under Central Government’s Swachh Bharat Yojana. “The idea is to build toilets by involving people with the aim to bring about behavioural change towards sanitation,” he said.
Earlier, the administration had made attempts to address the menace by giving roses to those found defecating in the open. Besides, sacred trees like basil and banyan were planted on the roadside to prevent people from defecating in the open. However, these did not work.The sarpanch said the decision to delete the names of people found defecating in the open from the list of beneficiaries, taken last week, has already started yielding positive results.