U'kd CM orders survey of houses still without toilets

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat todayasked officials to conduct a survey of houses in both rural and urban areas of Uttarakhand which are still without toilets, saying states can contribute to the cleanliness campaign from their own financial resources.

He was speaking during a review meeting of a committee set up to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.

Rawat said a survey should be conducted of houses which still don't have a toilet in rural and urban areasafter the baseline survey and the Education Department should be asked to provide a list of schools which were without toilets and drinking water facilities.

The chief minister reviewed workings of the committee ahead of a meeting to be held in this regard by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the chief ministers in New Delhi on May 2, an official release here said.

Noting that states can make their contribution to the cleanliness campaign out of their own financial resources and MNREGA, Rawat suggested that community toilets can also be built out of MLA funds.

However, he claimed rural areas of Uttarakhand had becomeopen defecation free whereas the urban areas were also close to achieving the objective.

Pitching for long-term plans to improve drinking water facilities, sanitation and strengthening of panchayati raj institutions, he asked officials to make arrangements for rainwater harvesting on government buildings, schools and other important places.