Jamshedpur, Dec. 9: Who says pester power is bad?

Rural schoolchildren will now pester parents to construct toilets at home.

East Singhbhum district administration has roped in schoolchildren to act as swachhata doots (cleanliness ambassadors) for parents and neighbours and promote the construction of individual toilets.

A part of its strategy for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in rural pockets, especially for promoting individual toilets, the district administration today launched a pilot project "Zid Karo Sauchalaya Ki, Bano Swachhta Doot (nag for toilets, be cleanliness ambassadors)" at a primary school in Tiring under Potka block, around 45km from Jamshedpur. .

"Based on the information by Tiring panchayat samiti member Urmila Samad and para-teacher Krishna Singh Sardar, we identified 60 students whose parents have not constructed toilets despite taking funds under the government scheme. We counselled the students about the health and environment hazards of open defecation and their parents' misuse of public funds," East Singhbhum district public relations officer (DPRO) Sanjay Kumar Pandey said.

Students were asked to persuade their parents to construct toilets at home. "We are happy that students, who were embarrassed at their parents' actions, resolved not only to convince them to construct toilets but also their neighbours," said Pandey.

Under Swachh Bharat Mission, the Centre gives Rs 6,000 and the state another Rs 6,000 for construction of toilets. According to the data of district drinking water and sanitation department, around 40 per cent people had taken the first instalment to build toilets but used it for some other purpose.