Punjab Government has strengthened its drive to provide sanitation facilities to village households through sanctioned Rs20 crore to construct toilets free of cost in rural areas for the families living below the poverty line.
“The department’s proposal has been approved by the Punjab Government with an aim to provide sanitation facilities to needy classes of the society.“Besides, rigorous efforts would be made to ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of the same,” said a spokesperson of the State Rural Development and Panchayat Department. Earlier Rs94 crore had also been spent by the state government to construct 80,689 toilets in villages. “The department has set an ambitious target to provide toilets to all BPl families by December 2015, and the department has sought reports from all BDPO’s about the need as constructing toilets in villages falls under their jurisdiction,” he said.
The government remains committed to battling the practice of open defecation, a practice which leads to dire consequences for public health — increased incidences of cases or deaths caused by preventable diseases like diarrhea or hepatitis. Calling the sanitation facilities critical to ensure human development as well as a step towards women safety, the spokesperson has also said that all BDPO’s have also been asked to ensure quality of construction under their personal supervision.