Union minister Venkaiah Naidu for civilian use of bio-toilets made for Army
Mr Naidu said the government was keen on utilising the defence research spin-offs for civilian usage
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-26 01:07 GMT
Hyderabad:Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu pitched for extensive use of DRDO-developed bio-toilets in urban areas. Mr Naidu said the government was keen on utilising the defence research spin-offs for civilian usage. He also batted for FDI in defence, saying the move will improve competition.
The minister was speaking at the Internat-ional Conference on Advanced Avionics at the Research Centre Imarat here on Monday. Mr Naidu said the bio-toilets would be crucial in realising the dream of a Swachch Bharat by 2019. “We are aiming at a Swachch Bharat by 2019. Bio-toilets are very important because they are nature friendly. They have been used by the Indian Army as well,” he said.
The minister said the bio-toilets can be used in schools, especially in areas where the dropout rate amongst girl students is very high. He stressed on the need for more utilisation of scientific by-products in civilian life. “Unfortunately, we have not used science and technology properly. I am told that there is a technology that can preserve onions for up to six months. This can shield people from the vagaries of monsoon,” he added.
He claimed FDI in defence will generate more employment, bring more investment and spur competition. DRDO chief Dr Avinash Chander also said opening up the defence sector to foreign investments would encourage growth.