Toiletkitchens raise a stink
BLOT ON SWACHH MISSION Toilets turned into shops and kitchens, shady contractors and unscrupulous officials point to a nexus that is derailing the pet programme of PM Narendra Modi
It’s a sight that will put you off eating any food cooked at the place.
A toilet in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district has been turned into a kitchen, while another has been converted to a small grocery shop, exposing the tall claims of the government about the swachhta abhiyan (cleanliness campaign).
In the district’s Kodan village, Dinesh Yadav has converted his toilet into a kitchen because the septic tank for the toilet was not constructed.
His wife Sushela told reporters that although the money under the scheme was transferred to their beneficiary account, it was the sarpanch in their village who constructed the toilet.
“Our toilet was also constructed by him. We gave him the money transferred into our account. But so far, the toilet has not been completed. We still go out to attend nature’s call,” she said.
On the Deri road of Chhatarpur town, Laxman Kushwaha, a labourer, has opened a grocery
We have a target to make our district Open Defecation Free by October this year... I admit there are some problems in the implementation of this scheme... The district coordinator has been shunted out for lapses. DK MAURYA, additional district magistrate, chhatarpur
shop in his toilet as the septic tank was not properly built by the contractor, sources said.
Neelam, 17, the eldest daughter of the labourer, said though a toilet was constructed, the septic tank was very small and not constructed properly.
“We complained to officials about it but no one listened to us. So my father decided to open a grocery shop in it. It was constructed around six months ago. Our family members still go out in the open to attend nature’s call,” she said.
When contacted, DK Maurya, additional district magistrate (ADM) of Chhatarpur and in charge CEO of the zila panchayat said authorities would probe why the villagers in the two areas were using their toilets as a kitchen and a grocery shop.
“We have a target to make our district Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October this year. Against a target of building 1.96 lakh toilets in rural areas, 55,000 toilets have been constructed so far.
“I admit there are some problems in the implementation of the scheme. We are taking action against those found guilty. Strict action has been taken and the district coordinator has been shunted out for lapses,” he said.
Kamta Gupta, chief municipal officer of Chhatarpur Nagar Palika said against a target of constructing 2,822 toilets in Chhatarpur city, around 1,600 have been constructed so far.
“I am sending officials to look into why a toilet is being used as a grocery shop on the Deri road, which falls under our area, ” hesaid.
Hinting at inconsistencies, RK Thapak, convener of Social Media Foundation, a local NGO, said there were irregularities in the construction of toilets under the Samgra Swachhta Abhiyan in rural and urban areas of the district.