357 Gram Panchayats rid of open-area defecation in state
Bhopal. State Swachchh Bharat Mission (Rural) is being implemented intensively to rid villages of practice of open-area defecation in Madhya Pradesh. As a result, 357 Gram Panchayats have been freed from open-area defecation so far. All Gram Panchayats of Chanwarpatha development block in Narsinghpur have become open-area defecation free. Madhya Pradesh stands third in the country in implementation of Swachchh Bharat Mission (Rural).
Awareness against demerits of open-area defecation is being constantly enhanced in the state. For this, Gaurav Yatras are being taken out in villages. People defecating in open-area are being discouraged and motivated to construct toilets in houses.
Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country which has made efforts to collect correct beneficiary-wise figures of toilet construction with transparency. Beneficiary-wise list has been chalked out on the basis of physical verification and benefited families linked with Samgra ID. Beneficiary-wise lists are tallied and analysed regularly. After January 2015, payments to material suppliers, labourers and beneficiaries are transferred directly in their bank accounts through RTGS following construction of toilets. Process to upload GO-tagged photographs directed on website is also underway to eliminate duplication in figures. Earlier, funds to construct toilets were given to Gram Panchayats on demand from district level and toilets were constructed by Gram Panchayats. After construction of toilets, Gram Panchayats used to pay them through cheques.
Several districts of the state are pioneer in implementation of the Mission. Functions are being held daily to motivate large number of villagers against practice of open-area defecation. Rural communities are themselves monitoring efforts to rid villages of open-area defecation by forming committees comprising males, females and children. These committees start vigil against open-area defecation right from 4 am and motivate people to use toilets. In this regard, training was also imparted to motivators in 20 districts. Process is underway in remaining districts.
