Taluka Panchayat in Gujarat fines man for attending nature’s call in open despite having toilet at home

Vyara: A taluka Panchayat in Tapi-Vyara district of Gujarat, which is already among leading states with open defecation free (ODF) status in its urban areas and likely to be completely ODF state soon, has officially fined a man for attending nature’s call in open despite having a toilet at home.

Sarpanch of Songadh taluka panchayat Jaysinh Gamit today said that under the Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan started by PM Modi in 2014, the taluka panchayat had made toilets in many homes and also constituted a committee to aware people about the harms of open defecation.

In Gopalpura village one Mangabhai Posaliyabhai Gamit, whose home was also having the facility of toilet, was recently seen attending nature’s call in open by a member of the committee who reported it to the Panchayat. He has been fined with Rs 200 for it.
‘We want to give people a clear message in this regard and that is why this fine was imposed’, he said.

Notably, this home state of PM Modi was among the first to be declared ODF for urban areas last year and is poised to become completely free from it soon.

Taking this mission very seriously even the state government has made it mandatory to have a toilet at home as a pre condition to be eligible to contest local body elections.

DeshGujarat