Swachh Vidyalaya: Government likely to achieve target of separate toilets in schools

NEW DELHI: The government seems set to accomplish the target of ensuring separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools across the country by this Independence Day, as was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

If the latest information compiled this evening by the Ministry of Human Resource Development is any indication, the completion rate was 98.36 per cent and only 6,849 toilets are left to be constructed against the target of 4.19 lakh toilets.

HRD Ministry officials voiced confidence of achieving 100 per cent target by the time the PM addresses the nation on August 15.

In his first Independence Day speech last year, the Prime Minister had promised constructing toilets in all schools within a year, more so as lack of such facilities were keeping girl students away from schools in many pockets in the country.

The states and union territories, public sector undertakings from 15 central ministries and more than 10 private sector entities are involved in construction of toilets in schools under the Swachh Vidyalaya initiative.

In an earlier reply in Parliament, HRD Minister Smriti Irani had said that about 310 central observers have been deputed to visit districts to review the progress of the initiative.

The Minister had also informed that states and UTs such as Andaman and Nicobar, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Kerala, Puducherry and Sikkim have already achieved 100 per cent target.

The Ministry has already started congratulating various states and union territories, PSUs and private players, engaged in the initiative, for achieving their target.