Probe into lavatories scam turns farce

When the concerned officials were contacted with queries as what actions have been initiated after the probe order by guardian minister Jaganath Patil, the result has shocked many in the district with only two ZP employees being suspended whereas more than 25 BDOS and gramsevaks were found guilty in the preliminary probe.

The water supply and sanitation department’s target for the district for 1996-97 was to construct 23,000 lavatories in eleven talukas but in fact they were not constructed. The scam, however, came to light when the ZP officials compliance claims were objected to by a group of disgruntled gramsevaks.

Meanwhile, close on the heels of the investigation which has become a farce, another Rs. 5 crore grant for the lavatory scheme has reached the Zilla Parishad for constructing more than 28,000 lavatories in rural areas. Many are surprised and believe that when the previous scandal in the Zilla Parishad lavatory scheme has not yet seen its end, the new grant could only be an invitation for more corruption.

The water supply and sanitation department gives the grant for concstructing a lavatory under its ambitious scheme for five lakh new lavatories in rural Maharashtra. The initial portion of the grant to the tune of Rs. 2,500 is released by the BDO concerned, while the rest is released through the joint account in the name of the gramsevak and surpanch of the village. With the scheme for 1998 being now of more than 28,000 lavatories with a cost of Rs. 5 crore, more transparency is needed to keep a check on the practices of previous years.

When contacted, additional chief executive officer Dada Jagtap, responding to queries as to how how he will bring about transparency in the construction of the lavatories, he said the same procedure would be followed as done earlier.