Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday urged the Centre to ensure improved toilet facilities for 15 lakh families in the state, left out of the coverage under the Open Defecation Free (ODF) scheme.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said that despite Chhattisgarh having been declared ODF state by the previous government, “there remains a segment of 15 lakh families devoid of access to improved toilet facilities”.
Urging the Centre to extend this essential facility to the deprived families, Mr Baghel has also proposed an enhancement in the financial provided for the construction of toilet facilities from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 per family.
He also requested the approval for construction of toilets in the Maoist-affected and remote areas through gram panchayats.
He referred to the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5) to justify his claim.
According to him, the survey findings reveal that 88.2 percent of families in urban areas of Chhattisgarh and 73.5 percent in rural areas have availed themselves of improved toilet facilities.
“This indicates that 76.8 percent of total families in the state are utilizing upgraded toilet facilities, while 23.2 percent are still deprived of this fundamental amenity”, he said.
Notably, the physical inspection of toilets during the recent socio-economic survey by the state government aligns with the data released by the National Family Health Survey-5, he added.
In the letter, the chief minister elaborated that under the previous government’s tenure, over 32 lakh toilets were constructed in the state, and in January 2018, the entire state was declared ODF.
An expenditure exceeding Rs 4,000 crore was allocated for these toilet constructions, he said.
