After terminating the contract of Sulabh International Social service Organization for showing low-powered performance in developing community toilets in urban areas under centrally sponsored Integrated low Cost Sanitation (IlCS) Scheme, the State Government is now looking for local beneficiaries to carry out the same.
The Housing and Urban Development Department of the state Government in the year 2004 under this scheme handed the responsibility to Sulabh International for five year. The objective of the scheme was to convert the dry and insanitary toilets into low cost sanitary units and connect them to the sewerage line. The process was to help at the liberating the manual scavengers from inhuman cleaning of night soils.According to the scheme, 75 per cent of the total cost of the project will be bearded by Union Government while State Government subsides 15 per cent of it and the remaining was to be borne by the beneficiary. The scheme caps the cost of per low cost toilet Rs10, 000.
Urban Development Department Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh said, “The search for new agency is on. We want this time to allocate the duty to local beneficiaries and are planning to float the tender for the same soon.”Responding to the query behind striking off the contract of Sulabh International Singh further added that the agency had remained infelicitous in completing the assigned job on time.
According to the contract as many as 18390 community toilets was to be erected in and around the state capital out of which 18,000 toilets has been constructed so far. The government claims that 390 community toilets are under construction. Besides, around 12 toilets within the city have a lock outside and as many as 20 toilets are not in proper condition.
Meanwhile, Sulabh International officials do not agree with the data provided by the Urban Development Department. Deputy Controller of Sulabh International Social Organisation Jai Prakash Jha has termed the allegation baseless. He comes down heavily on the Department officials said, “It is a baseless allegation on us, only 18 community toilets are under construction. People are using as many as 18408 toilets.”
Throwing light on the money allotted by the government on construction of toilets he further added, “Each year there is 20 per cent increment in the cost of labour and construction material. With the allocated money construction of toilets was becoming next to impossible. We have asked the government to increase the amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 but to no avail. They terminated our contract.” However, the responsibility of maintenance of community toilets still lies on the agency shoulder.