Active role of public in cleanliness is must: Rajendra Rathore

Panchayati Raj minister Rajendra Rathore, on Wednesday, said Rajasthan has set an example of cleanliness by building more than 89 lakh toilets in 9,895 gram panchayats by spending Rs 4,250 crore and got first position in the entire country for making the state open defecation free by one and a half years early than the target date.

Rathore was addressing as the chief guest during the state level award distribution programme on Swachh Bharat Diwas under Gram Swaraj at Ravindra Manch in Jaipur. He said “the toilets are continuously used for which there is need of active role of public representatives and general public. He assured that the pending payment for building toilets will be released soon – Rs 400 crore will be released in a week, while remaining will be released in two months. He called public representatives to take oath to construct community toilets in 3,300 smart villages in the state and asked to get all works of village sanitation and cleanliness from tribal sub plan scheme.

On the occasion, Rathore and Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini awarded 123 panchayati raj institutions for their excellent work. Saini wishing panchayati raj institutions who got award for their excellent work said to fulfill the dream of Gram Swaraj, Lok Sabha and Gram Sabha play important role and Gram Panchayat is the main loop of rural development. He said if environment, water and toilets in villages remain clean then diseases will be at bay, as cleanliness is the base of health.