Post News Network
Nuapada, May 22: The efforts of the Union Government to make villages of neglected and under-developed districts free from open defecation under Swachh Bharat Mission have gone haywire in this
district.
Though providing latrines to people living in rural areas has been emphasised at various district and block level meetings, the progress of the programme in the district is far from satisfactory as the construction of latrines is going at a snail’s pace.
Sources said the government has set a target to build latrines for 1.26 lakh families in the district under Swachh Bharat Mission by 2019. Out of this, the district administration wants to build latrines for 31,818 families in current financial year.
The deadline to meet the target is March 31, 2016. However, it has so far completed only 500 latrines as against the requirement of 7,000 units, sources added.
In accordance with the provisions of the scheme, the government wants to build latrines for all the families residing in rural areas of the district. SC and ST as well as BPL families, small farmers, widow and landless labourers are included under the scheme.
Eligible beneficiaries can avail the benefits of the scheme by themselves. They can also take help of Self Help Groups, voluntary organisations and panchayat members to receive the benefits.
Beneficiaries can file their applications before the concerned engineer at the block level. On receipt of applications, the concerned engineer can issue work orders after verification of applications, said a notification of Rural Development department of Orissa Government.
Sources said 10 engineers, with two each in a block, have been appointed to supervise the programme. The concerned authorities have also been asked to build latrines in houses sanctioned under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY).
The programme is directly supervised by district rural development department. Though several awareness programmes and meetings were weld to sensitise the beneficiaries, the pace of building latrines is very slow in the district.
Sources said beneficiaries are still not able to comprehend the provisions of the scheme. They are often seen visiting the block office to get the benefits as block officials do not provide correct information about applications, sources added.
Dayalal Sahu, a beneficiary of Hanspuri village under Sadar block, built a latrine in his house. However, Sahu has not yet received the funds for the latrines, he claimed.