The last day of Chhattisgarh Assembly’s monsoon session witnessed sharp debate over death of children due to falling into pits dug for toilet construction in various parts of the State.
The issue was raised by leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo.
Singhdeo said that there should be awareness created for constructing toilets rather than putting administrative pressure. However, pressure and fear of ‘Officer-Raj’ is prevailing due to which blunders are happening, he said.
As an outcome of pressure, those villages which are not ODF (open defecation free) are also being declared ODF and the diktats like cancelling ration allotment are being issued, Singhdeo said.
He also mentioned about various irregularities happening in the construction of toilets.
Singhdeo also pointed out towards the pressure mounting on ‘Sarpanch’ due to credit taken for the building toilets in their respective Panchayats.
Congress legislator Bhupesh Baghel said that State government was getting toilets constructed.
“Minister’s officials and politicians were going to attend programmes related to toilet construction; however, no one reached to console the family members of parents whose children died after falling in pits dug to construct toilets”, he said.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ajay Chandrakar rejected the Opposition’s claim that the government has issued any kind of order that failure in constructing toilet could lead to cancellation of ration cards.
Over the deaths of children he made it clear that those pits that had claimed lives of children were not constructed as part of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.
The residents of area had dug the pits for toilet construction out of self motivation he said while adding that government would release compensation according to the provisions.