Gift a toilet to sister, be the Bhai No. 1 this Raksha Bandhan
RAMGARH: Jharkhand’s drinking water and sanitation department has come up with an opportunity for brothers this Raksha Bandhan to grab the title ‘Bhai No. 1’.
Worry not, for they do not have to take to any daredevilry to earn the title. As per the prevailing tradition on Raksha Bandhan, a prominent Hindu festival, brothers gift something to their sisters after they tie sacred thread on their wrists and pray for their well being. But, this time, the sanitation department wants the brothers to gift their sisters toilets.
Jharkhand is not the first state to start such an initiative. Administration of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh will give ‘Bhai No. 1’ title to those who would gift toilet to their sisters.
Jharkhand authorities said the initiative was launched on Wednesday as part of the state’s open defecation-free (ODF) drive in association with Unicef.
“We appeal to all brothers to gift toilets to their sisters on occasion of Raksha Bandhan,” minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary said.
The government aims to cover 14.4 households under the Swachh Bharat Mission in the 2016-17 financial year and make Ramgarh as first ODF district of the state. The Dulami block of Ramgarh district was declared ODF block of Jharkhand in June.
“We have set target to make Ramgarh ODF by March 2017. For this, we have to construct 400 toilets daily. Earlier, financial help was given for building toilets to only BPL families. Now, all needy people could get benefits of the scheme. A sum of `12,000 is given to construct a quality toilet,” Ramgarh deputy commissioner Rajeshwari B said.
Doctors have been directed to prescribe toilets on prescription slips and encourage patients to construct toilets for good health and cleanliness.
She asked village heads and school teachers to educate children and villagers about ODF benefits.
Several people have started responding to the department’s call. “I never realised what a shame it was for us when women from our house went out to answer nature’ call. I have two sisters and I am going to construct a toilet for them in a fortnight,” said Sunil Kumar, a daily waged earner.
“Economically sound people should not take the benefit of government’s toilet scheme. They should build toilets on their own,” said Ramgarh deputy development commissioner Sunil Kumar Singh.