India expected to be open defecation free by 2019: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (File/PTI Photo)

The whole country is expected to be open defecation free by October, 2019, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. The government is confident of fulfilling the prime minister’s vision of making India open defecation free by October, 2019, Singh said after launching the ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ (Cleanliness is Service) campaign of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the capital.

The home minister said for cleanliness, the central government was implementing a Rs 12,000-crore action plan through 76 ministries and departments. “Providing toilet facility at home will ensure safety and dignity of women. ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ campaign will help improve nutrition and productivity of our children,” he said. The home minister said Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana and Uttarakhand have already been declared open defecation free.

“Toilets have been constructed in about 4.60 lakh houses and 4 lakh schools,” he said. Singh said the use of technology for creating wealth from waste was the government’s priority.