No pension, ration for defecating in open in Ambala

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, October 16

Ration, pension and all other benefits will be suspended temporarily if a person was caught defecating in the open in Ambala.

Additional Deputy Commissioner RK Singh said: “The district administration has launched a campaign to make Ambala open defecation-free (ODF). Various methods are being used to achieve the target and it has been decided that all benefits provided by the government, including ration and pension, will be suspended temporarily if the person was found defecating in the open.”

“Though there is a shortage of staff, we are confident that we will achieve the target by November end. The administration has been holding meetings with sarpanches and industrialists as they can play a vital role in achieving the target,” he added.

During a meeting at Panchayat Bhavan here on Friday, the brickkiln association was directed to construct toilets at their kilns. As per the information, there are 115 brickkilns in the district. Similar directions have been issued for the rice millers and other industrial units.

Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh said: “It has been observed that people have been defecating in the open despite having the toilet facilities at home. There are people who have received grants to construct the toilet under different schemes, but haven’t constructed it yet. Under the campaign, we have decided to make people aware about the ill-effects of the open defecation so that they start using the toilet.”

“Besides this, the district administration will ask the principals of government schools and leaders of various religious and social organisations to let people use their toilets. Efforts are being made to change the mentality of such people,” he added.

There are 408 gram panchayats in the district of which 117 have been identified as ODF. However, an official announcement in this context is yet to be made. The administration has also ordered 100 whistles which will be distributed among children and they will blow it whenever they found anyone defecating in the open.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation has also launched a survey to identify locations where people go for the open defecation. Besides this, people who are caught defecating in the open get garlanded, administered an oath to not to defecate in the open in future and construct a toilet at home.