Government determined to put PM's ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’ project in place

NEW DELHI:The entire weight and authority of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Secretariat has been put behind the PM’s ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’ project to ensure every single government school has a functional toilet in place- a promise PM Narendra Modi made in his first Independence Day speech from the Red Fort last year.

Rushing in to salvage the situation with a number of private sector and public sector establishments failing to construct the number of toilets in schools they had committed to, the Centre has now directed all state governments and district authorities to immediately take over all such delayed construction so as to ensure a toilet is in place at every school by 15th July.

In a meeting convened by SC Khuntia-School Education Secretary from the union HRD ministry- on 22nd June, 2015, it was noted that there is "very slow progress by the private sector companies and it is unlikely that they will reach the target by the scheduled date". At this review meeting, it was decided that "since the numbers involved here are not very high, all states should take over the construction of those toilets which are booked under the private sector and where work has not yet started".

Weary of losing time over funding issues, the Centre has also said that while private sector companies will be persuaded to provide funds for completing construction of the toilets they were committed to, if these efforts fail funds under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan/Rashtriya Mdahyamik Shiksha Abhiyan "can be utilized".

Similarly, while some Public Sector Units (PSUs) are on track and will be able to meet target deadlines, as on 22nd June 2015 work had not started in 23,564 toilets under the PSU sector.

Noting that it was unlikely that the PSUs would now be able to complete work on these toilets, it has been decided that the only option now is to ask the "States to take over construction of these toilets under the PSU quota where work has not started".

"This would appear to be the only way to ensure that the All India target is achieved by the scheduled date", it was noted in the minutes to the meeting reviewed by ET. PSUs have been asked to transfer funds for these toilets including for provision of water supply to these to the district authorities so that a functional toilet is put in place by 15th July, 2015. There is strong emphasis on ensuring no school must be left out at any cost. So if a school in functioning in rented and private premises, it has been advised that States construct temporary toilets there and explore private donations and contributions for the same. In case of schools where there is no space or agreement on building a toilet like in case pf schools operating out of religious premises- it has been advised that toilets should be identified and made available to children in adjacent government buildings or should be constructed on an adjacent government land.

In the long term states should ensure that no school is constructed without toilet and they should consider relocating all existing schools facing this problem", the meeting noted. In states like Assam and Meghalaya where schools have been washed away, toilets are to be made available wherever the affected students have been transferred to.

In fact, the entire government machinery has been pushed into mission mode to ensure project toilet is successfully completed before PM Narenda Modi makes his second Independence Speech at the Red Fort on 15th August.