Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh on Tuesday said setting up of a Toilet Maintenance Fund (TMF) reflected Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s micro-level planning to meet every possible need of the people and ensure a balanced development.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day workshop on how to put to best use the Toilet Maintenance Fund, the Minister said for the first time in the country, a government had allocated ₹440 crore for construction of toilets in schools.
He said bringing in fundamental changes in the education system, the government had made parents of schoolchildren active part of the Nadu-Nedu drive to ensure transparency and accountability in the works being taken up.
Education, agriculture and medical health sectors were the top priority of the government. Allocation of 18% of the total budget to the Education Department demonstrated the commitment of the government to usher in positive changes in the sector. The schemes like Nadu-Nedu that envisages development of school infrastructure, were designed in a manner that the stark difference between the past and the present conditions in government schools was seen by all. The first phase of the programme covered 15,715 schools, while in the second phase, another 15,000 schools would be given a facelift.
In the third and final phase of the programme, the remaining schools and colleges would also be developed. The plan was to complete the programme by June 2022 at a total cost of ₹11,000 crore, Mr. Suresh informed.
‘Reforms yielding results’
The Principal Secretary, School Education Department, B. Rajasekhar said organising a training programme on toilet maintenance fund was a novel experiment. He said this kind of a State-level meeting involving the top officials of the department, with focus on construction of toilets, was a very thoughtful move.
In the past, most households in slum habitations did not include toilets and people did not feel their necessity in schools also. But the Chief Minister recognised the need for proper toilets for children who spend a large part of the day in schools, he said.
He said the reforms introduced in schools had started showing positive results and cited the overwhelming admissions in government schools this year.
Department officials, Vice-Chairman of International Academy of Environment Sanitation and Public Health Ajay Kumar and others were present.
