BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday admitted that many public toilets in Karnataka are not in a usable condition due to lack of maintenance. Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the legislature, CM Bommai said that he has allocated Rs 250 crore for construction of toilets in all government schools and colleges which will be completed by August 15, 2023.
To this, Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri said the government is constructing toilets under various schemes but the real issue of maintenance is not being addressed. He said maintenance is possible only if any panchayat or agency is entrusted with the responsibility, failing which, only construction of toilets will not serve any purpose.
Former CM and veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said the major issue in maintaining is the unavailability of water.
“Public toilets can neither be maintained nor can the water scarcity issue be solved. More than 90 per cent of the toilets are locked. Stop constructing new public toilets,” he said, urging the CM to look into the issue.
Bommai said that initially the government made an attempt to address the issue through ‘Sulabh Souchalay’ scheme with good intention but it did not work. “We need to involve the public as a stakeholder in maintaining the toilets. Hence, we have decided to double the maintenance cost in this year’s budget. We will pay a certain amount every month for maintenance of every toilet. The responsibility will be given to School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs),” he said.
POCSO, MISSING CHILDREN CASES INCREASE IN THE STATE
Bengaluru: Cases registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and missing children cases registered in the state have seen a considerable increase since 2018. As per information provided to the State Legislative Council by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday, POCSO cases registered in the state increased from 2,063 in 2018 to 3,097 in 2022. In January 2023, as many as 207 cases were registered. Children missing cases increased from 770 in 2018 to 2,185 in 2022. In January 2023, as many as 249 cases were registered.