India - No Toilets,No Loans;Pune

PUNE: In an unusual posture to achieve targets under the government's 'Nirmal Gram' project, the Pune district administration has warned that those
villagers, who did not have toilets in their houses, would be deprived of loans and benefits under various welfare schemes.

As many as 870 villages in the district did not have toilets for every family and thus remained unlisted as 'Nirmal Gram' (Clean Village), a project being implemented by the authorities aggressively.

To avail of welfare schemes, a certificate of having a toilet in the house will be needed, Pune collector Chandrakant Dalvi told reporters.

A joint meeting of district officials, Zilla Parishad office bearers and police authorities headed by the Pune collector Chandrakant Dalvi told reporters that it was also decided not to issue the land ownership certification of revenue department under section 7/12 to those villagers who failed to comply with the directive on having a toilet in the premises.

Dalvi who said it was a question of "changing the mindset" of villagers who were apathetic in having toilets for their houses despite various schemes to facilitate them.

The next deterrent being mulled over by the authorities was to deny provision of foodgrains on the ration card to the "defaulters". This would be done after getting nod of the state government, the collector added.