The Central government is planning to bring in a legislation making provision of makeshift toilets mandatory at worksites to prevent open defecation in urban areas. It is being planned as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission to be implemented for five years from the coming October 2.
As part of the mission, the Centre is planning to achieve open defecation free India by October 2, 2019 as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary. Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu told newspersons here on Friday that the mission would be jointly implemented by Urban and Rural Development Ministries.
Stating that it would be made a people’s movement by involving people from all walks of life, Mr Naidu said it would be launched in Valmiki Basti in Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi had stayed for sometime, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2 by participating in cleaning the locality. The Centre would spend Rs. 1.32 lakh crore in rural areas and Rs. 62,000 crore in urban areas to achieve defecation-free India, he stated.
Of the Rs. 62,000 crore to be spent in urban areas, the Centre would provide Rs. 14,623 crore and rest of it would be met as viability gap fund, including some contribution from the State government and individual households for whom toilets would be constructed. Mr. Naidu stated that he had written to all Chief Ministers, Governors, 4,041 municipal chairpersons, mayors and nagar panchayat presidents, Lions and Rotary Clubs, spiritual leaders, trade and industry bodies, corporate companies and others seeking their participation in the mission.
Besides, he had also written to all political parties, including BJP, whose cadres indulge in open defecation during public meetings seeking their participation in the exercise to make India clean and healthy.
