Total rural sanitation program by Gandhigram Trust

: The Gandhgram Trust today said it would implement Total Rural Sanitation programme in Batlgundu, Nilakottai and Athoor in this district.
K Sivakumar, Secretary of the trust, said implementing its plan would begin with motivating people to avoid open defecation. Beneficiaries would be selected in a survey, he said,adding they are mulling over creating a revolving fund to help them purchase raw material for construction of toilets.
Besides talks are on with bankers to get loans under differential rates of interest to construct toilets, he said.
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would also be utilised for funding. Coordination mechanism will be set up at village panchayat and block levels to get government subsidy, he said.

People would be informed about eligibility to get benefitted under the scheme and their capacity to negotiate with government for implementing the programme will be enhanced, he said,adding many people had expressed willingness to construct toilets.
The trust planned to convert the government programme into a people's movement.
Sanitation expert Ravi Narayanan said chalking out a programme from the grassroots to the national level has better results.
He said People had been informed and plan and technology were ready. Government had provided sufficient funds for this programme. After its successful implementation at block level, it would be replicated at district level in future, he said.