PARLAKHEMUNDI:Even as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan of the Central Government saw setting up of toilets in almost all the villages in Gajapati district, its beneficiaries are yet to get the construction cost.
According to the mission, construction of toilets is a major area of focus for the Swachh Bharat programme, which aims to make India ‘open defecation-free’ by 2019. Every household would get Rs 12,000 under the mission for constructing a toilet block.
In fact, Kashinagar block was declared the first ‘open defecation-free’ revenue block in the State two months back. Kashinagar block has 12,562 households, who live in 140 villages under 12 panchayats. Every family of the block built toilet under the mission, apart from community toilets. However, 5,000 families are yet to get their share of Rs 12,000 each.
Similarly in R Udaygiri block, of 12,648 houses, 8,205 constructed toilets but payments were given to 3,500 beneficiary households. The remaining 4,705 beneficiaries are awaiting a payment of Rs 5.64 crore.
Local MLA Surya Deo said without assessing the funds required to set up toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the district administration went ahead with the implementation in a haste. “As a result of this haste, poor BPL category people are now suffering. Besides, the toilets are yet to get water connections and these are being used by people to store firewood and other forest products,” he said.
Executive Engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation said the money that the district got under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has already been distributed for payment to beneficiaries. Kashinagar Block Development Officer Akul Mallik said the block has received Rs 9.3 crore against requirement of Rs 15 crore.
Gajapati district has seven blocks, including Kashinagar, with 129 panchayats. The administration aimed at building 1,50,000 new toilets for the district to become totally open defecation-free by next year.
Sanitation WOES
Every household is supposed to get Rs 12,000 for constructing a toilet block
Kashinagar block has 12,562 households but payment has not been made to 5,000 families
In R Udaygiri block, of 12,648 houses, 8,205 constructed toilets but payments were given to only 3,500 beneficiary households