Lok Sabha Question No. 4925 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-26
Subject: Sanitation Workers in Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: BHARATI DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4925 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  MARCH, 2018

## Sanitation Workers in Schools

## †4925.   DR. BHARATIBEN D. SHYAL:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  full  time  sanitation  workers  have  not  been  deployed  for  toilets  in  Government schools as a result toilets get soiled after their limited duty hours;
- (b) if so, the reasons for not deploying of regular workers for the work;
- (c) whether  there  is  any  proposal  to  use  labourers  under  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as full time workers in schools; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) and (b) The primary responsibility of maintenance of school toilets lies with the concerned State Government/UT Administration. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has advised all  State  Governments  and  UT  Administrations to ensure proper maintenance of school toilets to keep them functional and also to take steps to bring about behavioural changes among students and teachers through an intensive awareness campaign so that the school toilets are properly used, and kept neat and clean.

The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  has  instituted  Swachh  Vidyalaya Puraskar  (SVP)  in  2016  at  district,  state  and  national  levels  to  recognise,  inspire  and  celebrate excellence  in  sanitation  and  hygiene  practices  in  schools. The  SVP aims  to  promote  schools  in achieving  a  Swatchhta  scale  and  standard  for  which  a  Standing  Operating  Procedure  has  been released.

The Ministry has also advised States and UTs to encourage school education authorities for promoting cleanliness and hygiene practices in schools by undertaking various activities including Swachhata  Pakhwada,  appointment  of  Student  Ambassador,  singing  Swachhata  songs  in  Bal

Sabha/Children's assembly, celebrating Swachhata Diwas, drawing/painting competitions focusing on Swachhata in each school.

The school  maintenance  grant/  annual  school  grant  under  Sarva  Siksha  Abhiyan  (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), supports the States/ UT Administration in the maintenance and minor repair of the school infrastructure including toilets. Under SSA programme, there is provision of a school maintenance grant of Rs. 5,000/- per school (upto 3 classrooms) and Rs.  10,000/-  per  school  (with  more  than  3  classrooms),  subject  to  the  condition  that  the  overall eligibility for the district would be Rs. 7,500/- per school. Under RMSA, an amount of Rs. 50,000 per government secondary school is provided as annual school grant.

The Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  has  also  advised  the  Panchayati  Raj  Departments  of  all States in March, 2016 to include inter alia the provision for rehabilitation/repair of existing toilets and drinking water systems in schools as per the norms and requirements, while preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans for using Fourteenth Finance Commission Grants.

(c)  and  (d)        Ministry  of  Rural  Development  has  informed  that  the  objective  of  the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every  household  whose  adult  members  volunteer  to  do  unskilled  manual  work.  There  is  no provision in the Act to provide full time employment to MGNREGA workers.

******