Fatehgarh Sahib to be first open defecation-free district in Punjab

Fatehgarh Sahib district will be announced as open defecation-free (ODF) by the Union government on July 14, informed deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, here on Friday.

Fatehgarh Sahib district will be announced as open defecation-free (ODF) by the Union government on July 14, informed deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, here on Friday.

Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara (Photo courtesy: Wikipedia)

“We are proud to say that our district will be the first one in Punjab to be open defecation free,” said Sangha here in a press conference.

Toilets have been constructed in 9,000 selected rural households of the 440 villages of the district with a government subsidy of Rs 15,000 each under the Swachh Gramin Mission of central government. Many union ministers, state government and village panchayats of other districts appreciated the toilet-cum-bath model adopted by Fatehgarh Sahib. Moreover, other districts sent their panchayat members to Fatehgarh Sahib for workshops on strategy for public awareness and sensitisation.

“It is a big achievement and the credit goes to team spirit of people, including JEs, XENs, other administrative staff and specially the volunteers and motivators,” said Sangha.

“The motivators handled a bigger task of convincing people to get a toilet instead of defecating in open,” he added.