Water supply and Sanitation Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa today started the ‘Mass Construction Campaign’ for constructing toilet in every household at village Dabanwal of Fatehgarh Churian block of Gurdaspur district with an aim to end the open defecation. Mr. Bajwa also flagged off 90 promotional teams which would create awareness among the people to make their area free from open defecation.Addressing a massive gathering at Village Dabanwal, the Cabinet Minister Mr. Tripti Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had dreamed of making Punjab the cleanest and healthiest state in the country. Mr. Bajwa said that out of the 22 districts of Punjab, 11 districts have gained the status of free from defecation and people from more than half the villages of 5 other districts have stopped open defecation. He said that the state government has been providing toilet facility to every household which lack it.
He said that the government has been giving Rupees 15 thousand to such homeowners in 3 installments for toilet construction. Mr. Bajwa further announced that Punjab would be free from open defecation by December 31.Giving details regarding construction of toilets in Gurdaspur district, Mr. Tripti Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that 63079 toilets would be set up in 1213 villages of the district for which 100 crore rupees have been released by the state government. He said that the facility of toilets would be provided in every house of Gurdaspur district by the end of November with the completion of remaining toilets out of total 63079.Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Tripti Rajinder Singh Bajwa appealed the people to support government’s campaign to make the state free from open defecation.Prominent amongst others, Mr. Gurlavleen Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner Gurdaspur, Mr. Mohammad Ishfaq, Director Water Supply and Sanitation Department and other officials of the Government were also present.