Ensure Toilet In Home To Get Salary: Ajay Kumar Upadhayay, Gonda, UP Collector To Staff

GONDA, UTTAR PRADESH:  In a move to curb open defecation in Gonda, District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Upadhayay announced that government employees and officials without a toilet in their homes will be denied salaries from next month.

Taking part in a workshop conducted in association with the World Bank, Mr Upadhayay said he has asked government employees to build toilets in their houses, in sync with the ‘Swachch Bharat’ mission.
The team under the DM, first took an extensive survey of villages and zeroed down on details of places without toilets. To improve and increase the efficiency, they were in conversation with the local panchayats.  “We have been persistent constantly to improve the open defecation scenario and increase awareness amongst the locals. There has been no objection and we are glad the people have understood the contractual problems and accepted this change.”

The government and other employees will be required to obtain a certificate relating to provision of a functional toilet at their home, in order to withdraw salaries next month. For the verification process, volunteers are stationed and visit the houses to ensure usage of the toilet for all family members; added Mr Upadhayay. These certificates will be issued to the employees by the heads of their respective departments.

“We have 75 volunteers who send information keep us regularly updated on Watsapp. We also tell families to convince atleast two neighbours to build toilets in their houses.” The wp Journal asked Mr.Upadhayay about companies and corporate houses that just cut a cheque towards the Swach Bharat relief fund by the PM and believe their responsibility towards society has been achieved, The District Magistrate says, “If people want a change and do it sincerely, then it is possible. The model applied in Gonda can be replicated in other states, inorder to be free from defecation and successfully reach the targeted year. It is because of the growing awareness among the people that the most backward Khanpur village under Tarabganj tehsil in Gonda has been freed from open defecation.”

It is individual initiatives such as this of Mr. Ajay Kumar Upadhayay, which truly works and makes a difference in the long run. wp is not only about mandate for the corporate and leaving it to NGOs to do the work for the good of society. At all times, the onus is on us to do our bit with the little we have and the people associated with us. For a long time, it has and will always be the Common’s Man Social Responsibility and the time to do it is now.

(With inputs from PTI)