Collector travels on bus to propagate Swachh Bharat

Jogulamba Gadwall: District Collector Rajat Kumar Saini adopted unique style to publicise the swatch Bharat mission in Jogulamba Gadwall district. The Collector along with a group of Kalajata Team boarded a local bus from Gadwall bus stand and interacted with the passengers on board and enquired with them if they had constructed Individual Latrines (ILs) at their homes.

While talking to the passengers, the Collector said, “Government is providing Rs 12,000 to poor and economically weaker sections to construct ILs at home. It is time that every one of us must strongly resolve that we will not defecate in open and use ILs. This is important not only for our health but also it’s a matter of self-respect,”

While enquiring with a passenger Padma, from Saddalonipally, the Collector asked her if she had constructed IL at her home. She replied in negative. And when he asked if the officials have come to her home, she replied yes and said they had taken picture of her house and went away. Upon this the Collector immediately, sanctioned money for construction of IL and asked her to go and construct IL at the earliest.

The Collector wondered when people are buying most advanced android phones and latest model bikes, why are they not giving priority to their self respect and dignity. When interacting with another passenger, who replied that there is no place in front of his home for him to construct IL, the Collector said, apart from supporting economically poor financially for the construction of ILs, the government is also constructing community ILs for those who do not have sufficient place for the construction of ILs, such people constitute about 5 per cent in the district.

Until the bus trip could end, the Collector successfully convinced all the passengers for compulsory construction of ILs, who all assured him that would construct ILs in their villages and end the practise of open defection.