J&K govt employees’ salaries stopped for no toilets at home

JAMMU: Sending out a strong message against open defecation, salaries of around 600 government employees in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir were stopped for not constructing toilets at their houses, an official said on Saturday.

Angrez Singh Rana, district development commissioner, Kishtwar, passed the order on Friday on receipt of a report submitted by Anil Kumar Chandail, assistant commissioner development, regarding non-availability of toilets in the houses of 616 state employees of Padder block, he said.

J&K has achieved a target of 71.95% with respect to the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs), verification and geo-tagging of units under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Kishtwar has registered 57.23% success in this regard. Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh, Shopian in south Kashmir and Srinagar have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), while Anantnag and Pulwama, also in south Kashmir, are likely to achieve the ODF status by the end of April. After receiving Chandail’s report, the Kishtwar district development commissioner took serious note of the matter.

“It is shameful and depicts the government in a bad picture...being a government employee, our behaviour and way of living should serve as an example in the society for others to follow,” the official said.

Talking about ODF targets, he said 98.64% target was achieved in Pulwama district, 98.43% in Anantnag, 91.92% in Kupwara.

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It is shameful and depicts the govt in a bad picture...being a government employee, our behaviour and way of living should serve as an example in the society for others to follow.

ANGREZ RANA, Kishtwar district development commissioner