Telangana State eyes open defecation free tag, survey on the cards

Hyderabad: In its efforts to make the state open defecation free (ODF), the Municipal Administration Department has asked the Municipal Commissioners in the State to take up house to house survey to find out whether the households have individual toilets so as to make the State ODF by October 2.

The government wants to ensure every household in the State had individual toilets so as to make the State open defecation free (ODF) by October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. Major towns have been declared as open defecation free during the year 2019.

The Municipal Commissioners were further asked to submit requirement of toilets, ward –wise, location- wise of toilet-less households house with insanitary toilets for utilising 'Property mapping-Bhuwan' app going on for identification of toilet less houses and also insanitary toilets during house to house Survey.

The director of Municipal Administration N Satyanarayana issued circular directing the commissioners to upload the applications on http://swachhts.cgg.gov.in and also to take immediate action for construction of individual household toilets and conversion of insanitary toilet into sanitary toilets immediately and complete the same by October 2 this year.

The officials were asked to release funds based on the applications uploaded on the website and payment would be made only after construction of toilets and Aadhar seeding in the website duly uploading photograph of the toilets.

The government has been providing incentives for construction of toilets. The incentive for constriction of IHHL (Individual Household Latrine) is Rs 12,000 out of which Rs 4,000 is given by Central government and Rs 8,000 would be from State government. In case of conversion of insanitary toilet to sanitary toilet, government provides an incentive of Rs 7,000 and the share of the Central government is Rs 4,000 and the share of Telangana government is Rs 3,000 per toilet. The Municipal commissioners have been asked to get the share of the state government from the 'Pattana Pragathi' grants being released.

All the municipal commissioners were asked to complete the target by October 2. They were also asked to ensure all payments to the beneficiaries are made through online mode into the bank accounts and not to take up cash disbursements anywhere.