Ranchi: Shedding its rebel hotbed image, Simdega district bagged the maximum awards in various cleanliness categories at the launch of the Swachhta Sahyog Abhiyan on Friday to make the state open defecation-free (ODF) by October 2.
Chief minister Raghubar Das gave Simdega best-performer awards in seven out of the 12 categories that included maximum toilet coverage, village organisation, self-help groups, rural water sanitation, proactive mukhiya and maximum use of rani mistris (innovation).
The CM had on April 18 declared Simdega ODF at a public function in Garhwa.
Over 2,100 trained rani mistris (women masons) had built over 26,000 toilets in Simdega under Swachhata Sankalp Abhiyan during January 26 to March 25, setting an example for other districts.
Over 320,000 toilets were built across the state under the campaign. So far, eight districts in the state have been declared ODF.
Under the Swachhta Sahyog Abhiyan, rani mistris, raj mistris and jal sahiyas from ODF districts will visit other parts of the state to build toilets and create awareness about cleanliness.
"We have sent 160 rani mistris to Gumla to help in the construction of toilets. But Gumla DC (Shravan Kumar Sai) is asking for 300 more," Simdega DC Jata Shankar Choudhary said.
On what will the women masons, who are currently being paid Rs 400 per day, do when the state becomes ODF after four months, Choudhary said they were being trained to build houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
"Around 4,000 such houses will be built in my district during this fiscal. I will also ensure that they are engaged in the construction of other government buildings. There is no dearth of jobs for skilled hands," he added.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014, with the aim to make the country ODF by October 2, 2019, toilet coverage in Jharkhand was only 18 per cent. Now it is ranked as the best state with 77 per cent coverage.
The concept of rani mistri, which evolved in Simdega, has played a key role in bringing about the revolutionary change.
