With the offer of interest-free revolving fund to individuals by Gandhigram Trust, residents of Pithalaipatti village in Athoor block have started constructing toilets.
The trust disbursed Rs.6,000 each to 10 persons at the inauguration of individual toilet construction work under Nirmal Bharat Abhyan and National Rural Employment Guarantee schemes at the village here on Tuesday.
Collector N. Venkatachalam, who inaugurated the work, said that efforts were on to construct toilets in 2,25,066 houses in the district. This was part of a massive exercise. First, 308 toilets will be constructed at Pithalaipatti. He said 70 per cent of diseases spread due to open defecation so that people should avoid open defecation.
The Trust Project Coordinator R. Ramuthai said the Gandhigram Trust had planned to offer assistance to beneficiaries for construction of 42,000 toilets in Nilakottai, Batlagundu and Athoor blocks, adopted by it, as a pilot project. Later, it would extend the initial financial support to all beneficiaries in other parts of the district to make the district open defecation free zone in 2015. They need not pay any interest to this amount.
The government gives Rs.10,000 only after construction of toilet. Initially, people have been struggling to buy materials to start the work. This initial fund of Rs.6,000 will be useful to buy materials.
They can manage labour cost with their own financial resources to complete construction. On receipt of Rs.10,000 from the government, the beneficiary will refund the amount to the trust. This revolving fund will be offered to next batch of individuals for construction. The trust will disburse revolving fund to 42,000 beneficiaries in three blocks in its pilot project, she pointed out.
With sanctioning of funds on the spot, many house owners have started constructing toilets immediately.
