Muniya Devi, a sexagenarian residing in a Gardanibagh slum, beamed with joy after receiving a certificate meant for beneficiaries of the toilet scheme from Patna municipal commissioner Abhishek Singh at a programme organised on Saturday.

Muniya said: "My family, including my daughters-in-law, were forced to defecate in the open in the absence of a toilet. It was very shameful for all of us but we had no option . I am happy that I would receive a grant of Rs 12,000 from the corporation to build a toilet in our house."

The four circles of Patna Municipal Corporation held programmes in the respective offices on Saturday to distribute certificates to beneficiaries of the toilet scheme. Altogether 264 beneficiaries in the four PMC circles were provided certificates.

According to PMC sources, Rs 12,000 would be directly transferred to the bank account of each beneficiary. Of the Rs 12,000, the Centre will provide Rs 4,000 under the Swachch Bharat Mission (Grameen) and the state the rest under Ghar Ghar Shauchalay, one of the seven resolves of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

According to sources in the PMC, if the toilet scheme is properly implemented, it would help rid Patna of open-defecation. The city has open defecation points in areas like Gardanibagh, along Ganga ghats, Phulwarisharif and Digha-Mainpura. Sources in PMC said the toilet scheme was significant for Patna because many slum dwellers had lost their lives while defecating along the railway tracks, mainly in Gardanibagh.

According to PMC, each of the beneficiaries had to get their toilet built with Rs 12,000.

Executive officer of New Capital circle Vishal Anand said: "No agency is being involved. However, we would monitor whether toilets are being built with the funds or not. While Rs 7,500 was directly transferred to the beneficiaries' accounts today (Saturday), the remaining Rs 4,500 would be transferred to their accounts only if we find 50 per cent completion of the toilet."

PMC commissioner Abhishek Singh said apart from ensuring that the benefits of the toilet scheme reach the beneficiaries, the corporation would ensure that community toilets were constructed in various areas of the city to address the problem.

"Suppose who face problem in getting benefits of the toilet scheme because they don't own any land, which is one of the criteria to avail the benefit under the scheme, they can come to us and apprise us of their situation. We would get community toilets constructed in those areas on a priority basis," he said.