Chhattisgarh CM wishes ailing Kunwar Bai speedy recovery

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday wished a speedy recovery to ailing Kunwar Bai, who was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the mascot for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Kunwar Bai had sold seven of her goats to raise the money to build a toilet at her house. In 2016, the district was declared the first in the state to be Open Defecation Free.

Kunwar Bai hit headlines when Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised her, addressing her as "Ma Kunwar Bai Yadav". He asked the media to follow her and not him.

Chief Minister Raman Singh also sought her blessings to continue serving the people of Chhattsgarh, via a video call. 106-year-old Kunwar Bai Yadav is presently hospitalised in Dhamtari.

He also instructed the Collector to ensure best possible treatment for Kunwar Bai.

Kunwar Bai, who lives with her family in Dhamtari's Kotabharri village, has also been spreading awareness about the importance of using toilets to other villagers.

As per the 2015 Swachhta Status Report, more than half of the rural population (52.1 percent) of the country defecates in the open. Chhattisgarh was among the states with lowest percentage of households having toilets (21.2 percent). The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to eradicate open defecation by 2019.