With Human Resource Development Ministry acting tough against the agencies for constructing toilets in a haphazard manner, the public sector undertakings (PSUs) would have to shell out more for the faulty design. In a shocking revelation, it has come to the notice of HRD Ministry that most of <g data-gr-id="26">PSUs</g> have built temporary toilets for girls under the Swachh Bharat-Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign.
“While reviewing the toilet construction status in different states, it has come to the notice of the ministry that most of PSUs, including ONGC, NTPC, POWERGRID, Coal India Limited, have not completed the toilet construction work as per the guidelines of the ministry,” a senior HRD official said, adding that there are 6,000 toilets incomplete in Odisha, while, 200 toilets in Jammu & Kashmir have no rooftops and water facilities.
According to HRD official, the PSUs have been told to complete the half-completed toilets by September 20 and if they fail to do so, the HRD ministry will take ‘tough’ stand against the errant partners of Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign.
“The PSUs would have to reconstruct the leftover toilets either by shelling out more funds for the same as the NGOs or other agencies that were given the work order to construct toilet have not done their job in <g data-gr-id="24">chaotic manner</g>. In some schools, the toilets are not having rooftops, water taps, doors, etc, which is unacceptable,” the official said, adding, “The ministry would not compromise with the quality of work.” The HRD ministry on the eve of Independence Day had declared that government had accomplished the target of ensuring separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools across the country, which was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his maiden Independence Day speech last year.
To meet the HRD Ministry’s target of 4.19 lakh toilet construction, states and union territories, PSUs from 15 central ministries and more than 10 private sector entities were involved in construction of toilets in schools under the Swachh Vidyalaya initiative. As a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the PSUs under the ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy were given the target to construct 50,000 toilets in schools all over the country within next one year.