Haryana minister directs officials to show village heads Bollywood movie Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Dhankar directed all district development and panchayat officers (DDPOs) to arrange a special show for all village sarpanches and panches in their respective districts.
A still from Toilet Ek Prem Katha.
A still from Toilet Ek Prem Katha.

CHANDIGARH: As the BJP Government in Haryana aims to declare all villages in the state open defecation free (ODF) by September, Haryana development and panchayats minister, OP Dhankar on Wednesday issued directions to show Akshay Kumar’s starrer ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ to all sarpanches and panches of the state.

Dhankar directed all district development and panchayat officers (DDPOs) to arrange a special show for all village sarpanches and panches in their respective districts.  He said this decision was taken to further sensitise the representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

The movie, which highlights the issue of open defecation in rural India has crossed Rs 80 crores within five days of its release. Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, it is said to be inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign.

The Uttar Pradesh government had on August 10 already waived off its share of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on the movie.

Haryana has 21 districts, 124 blocks, and 6,083 gram panchayats. In May this year, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said all districts would be declared as ODF by September this year.

“While rural areas will be made ODF by June 23, urban areas will get this status by September 25. In total, 6,132  gram panchayats have become ODF in Haryana while 200 to 300 panchayats would be made ODF by next month,’’ Manohar Lal Khattar said.

Sources said the process of making rural areas open defecation free is underway.

Manohar Lal Khattar had said that as many as 44 villages– two villages each from a district—would be taken up under a pilot project where cleanliness would be ensured by November 1.

A team of World Bank experts had met Manohar Lal Khattar and offered to work for an ODF plus status for Haryana. ODF plus refers to total sanitation in terms of solid waste management, improved sewage lines, storm water drains and pucca cement roads, in addition to open defecation free status.

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