Water facilities in all schools soon

 BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has underscored the need for providing running water facilities in the toilets of all schools and anganwadi centres in the State. Official sources said 3,454 anganwadi centres in the State do not have drinking water facilities. Steps are being taken to provide such facilities in 3,096 centres. In the rest, drinking water arrangements will be made soon. Naveen on Saturday reviewed the implementation of Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in Orissa. He reiterated that the focus of the State Government is to make available sanitation facilities in all schools. Sources said toilets had been constructed in 67,603 schools in the State by end-June. This is 96 per cent of the target compared to 84.77 per cent at the national level. Construction of toilets in the anganwadi centres has also been started. Still 17 per cent anganwadi centres in the State do not have toilet facilities. Toilets have been constructed in 20,879 anganwadi centres by June. Toilets have been constructed in 36,10,570 houses in the State under the TSC. Balasore, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts are ahead of others in the implementation of the campaign. Basta block of Balasore district has achieved 100 per cent target under TSC. The Chief Minister said all employees, including Asha workers, ANMs, anganwadi workers and helpers, siksha sahayaks, schoolteachers and elected panchayat representatives should ensure construction of toilets in their houses. Rural Development and Law Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, Development Commissioner RN Senapati, Rural Development Secretary SN Tripathy, Women and Child Development Secretary Arati Ahuja and senior officials attended.