Goa to become open defecation free by August 31: Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that the state would become open defecation free by August 31.

Sawant said this in response to a question asked by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat.

"The deadline to make Goa open defecation free is August 31 and we will achieve it. We will set up 538 twin toilets in different wards to make the state open defecation free," the chief minister said.

State Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo said that once the state is declared open defecation free, the government will start imposing fine on those found defecating in the open.

In the next one-and-a-half months, the state government will provide bio-toilet to 17,150 households, he said.

"In addition to this, each ward in panchayats and municipalities will have two community toilets," Lobo said.

From August 15, the state government will start providing bio-toilets, which approved by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), he said.

Sawant said the fee of Rs 10,000 earlier decided for bio-toilets has been reviewed by the government considering that many families are finding it difficult to pay.

He said that the families belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) will have to pay Rs 1,000 for a bio toilet, OBC Rs 2,000 and general category Rs 4,000.