Mumbai, April 18: The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday declared rural Maharashtra as open defecation free (ODF). Last year, Urban Maharashtra was declared as ODF. According to Fadnavis, the Rural Minister, along with the Water and Sanitation Minister helped to execute the initiative successfully. Fadnavis applauded them for providing toilet facility to 60.41 lakh deprived families of Maharashtra who were not having toilets even after 65 years of Independence. He claimed in the year 2012, a baseline survey was conducted in which Maharashtra state 20.25 lakh families were only having toilet facility but remaining 60.41 lakh families were not having access to toilet.

Keeping in mind the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India ODF by October 2, 2019, Maharashtra government before the target deadline has constructed lakhs of toilets. He further added as per 2012 baseline survey all 60.41 lakh families have toilet facility now. Also, government emphasized more on separate individual toilet facility, however, wherever there was space crunch or any other difficulty public toilet facility have been constructed for people use. Therefore, Maharashtra which comprises 34 districts, 351 talukas, 27,667 gram panchayat and 40,500 villages have access to toilet now.

Meanwhile, he also added under Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan they are have completed the work by utilizing Rs 4.50 crore funds both from state and the Centre.

According to data presented by Fadnavis before the press in the year 2014-15 they constructed 4.88 lakh toilets, Similarly in the year 2016-17, 19.16 lakh toilets been made. While in year 2017-18, 19.16 lakh toilets been made and in the year 2017-18, 22.21 lakh toilets been made. Also, 2. 81 lakh community toilets been constructed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2018 07:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).