(Image source from: No toilet? No Party Ticket })

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that individuals with no toilets at home cannot contest panchayat or urban local body polls in the state. According to reports, at a function Nitish Kumar said that it was essential to raise awareness among people on the necessity of having a toilet at home. For this necessary amendments will be made to the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act and other statutes relating to elections in urban bodies. The chief minister was speaking at the function organized by the rural development and public health engineering department on World Toilet Day.

Inspite of central government efforts, more than two crore families in the state did not have a toilet in their homes, said Nitish Kumar. So he called upon people, as well as government employees, to make efforts to constructed toilets on their premises.

As a motivation to panchayats, Kumar said that Nirmal Gram Panchayat prize, with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, will be given to panchayats that achieve the target of 100% in constructing toilets. And blocks that conduct a cleanliness drive will be given the Nirmal Prakhand award, which has a prize of Rs 25 lakh.

(Picture Source: beyondprofit.com)

(AW: Pratima Tigga)