Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (JEEViKA) under Rural Development Department, Govt. of Bihar has organised a mega event at Srikrishna Memorial Hall, Patna, on the occasion of “World Toilet Day” on 19th Nov. This programme aimed to reduce “Open Defecation” in Bihar with the help of members of Self-Help-Groups through strategic behavioural change and women participation. Bihar government is highly ambitious about implementation of this sanitation plan for next coming year as three department ministers: minister of Rural Develelopment, minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and minister of Panchayati Raj have come on same platform to make effective model with proper synchronization with different departments. This programme was also focused on community based total sanitation plan rather than toilet construction,JEEViKA with GoB, aimed maximum coverage of toilet accessibility and ensure usage of toilets by all SHG’s families.

Honourable, Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Jeetan Ram Manjhi, Rural Development Minister, PHED Minister, Panchayati Raj minister, representatives of different partner agencies; BTAST, Global Sanitation Fund, JagranPahal, and PSI were present on this occasion. This programme has larger coverage more than 2000 participants participated including more than 1000 SHGs members from 15 districts of Bihar, all project managers of district and block level of JEEViKA, all Block welfare officers of Govt. of Bihar and state level staffs of rural development department have actively participated. CEO BRLPS Dr. N. VijayaLakshmi has welcomed all the guests and dignitaries came from different ministries and departments of Bihar. She announced that JEEVIKA will take this sanitation challenge in Bihar to change “Open Defecation” status in India. She clarified about strategy to implement sanitation programme these are:

• Each Block has 100 Community Resource persons (CRPs), will be selected from community institutions and trained on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). These Community Resource Persons(CRPs) will act as triggering agent to behaviour change on sanitation in the
• In each block 50 women masons will be trained on constructing low cost toilets, will also be trained on sanitation to provide service of toilet construction of SHG households.
• Rural sanitary mart will be established in each Block by the CLF/VO, potential community person will be trained on sanitary mart function and its operations in rural areas.
• In each Village Organization (VO) Health, Nutrition and sanitation committee will be formed to monitor sanitation performance (toilet construction & personal hygiene) with different stakeholders & actively participate in sanitation awareness programme. These committee members will promote to make “Open Defecation Free” villages.
• Partnerships with different development agencies which are engaged in sanitation promotion & awareness, best practices can explore up to community level.
• SHGs will also ensure smooth delivery in incentives of toilet construction and use of it.

Honourable Chief Minister of Bihar has officially transferred 2831 SGSY buildings to JEEVIKA’s community Organizationfor training and marketing, he also inaugurated movie of “HamaraGaonHamariYojana(HGHY)” developed by Rural Development department, JEEVIKA is also supporting to implement this schemes in every districts of Bihar.

In this occasion Panchayati Raj Minister Shri Binod Yadav addressed to participants and told that each Panchayat have ample funds has been parked at panchayats, this fund also be used in the construction of personal toilets or community toilets. Panchayat has vital role in village strengthening & sanitation awareness. Panchayati Raj institutions and community institutions are the platform where common issues related to health and sanitation can address properly.

PHED Minister Shri Mahachandra Prasad emphasised that there should be “Single Window” system for fund transfer for toilet construction it must be hassle free and easy to access. He also focused on construction of “permanent toilets” rather than temporary toilets. He also clarified the role of PHED and JEEVIKA has strength to achieve the target of toilet construction and ensured that collaboration with JEEVIKA process of toilet construction can be simplified.

Rural Development Minister Shri Nitish Mishra formally announced that JEEViKA will act as one of the potential agency for “Sanitation Movement” in Bihar. He was thankful to all Govt. departments and development partners who have shown their interest in vital issues that “Sanitation and Open Defecation Free Bihar”. Mr. Mishra also pointed that Govt. of Bihar is progressive towards sanitation and putting their effort to collaborate with departments to pave the path of “Swatch Bihar” through SHG’s members.

Honourable, Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Jitan Ram Manjhi has addressed the participants of this event and explained upcoming plans of sanitation and implementation strategy in Bihar. He clearly said that sanitation is very essential for all rural people are most suffering due to poor sanitation in villages. He focused that Govt. departments and NGOs should have to work together for this “Sanitation Mission”. He mentioned that as India’s literary rate has improved 17% to 67% from 1947 to 2014. Honourable chief minister of Bihar said that earlier Bihar had target to construct 20,00,000 ( twenty lakh) toilets but now target has escalated to 1,65,00,000(one carore sixty five lakhs) toilets till 2019, to achieve this target all public representatives from panchayat and district level whose numbers are 2,70,440 (approximately) each representative has to construct at least five toilets per year and four lakhs self help groups will also help in construction of toilets. This can be viable targets to achieve the goal. At the end he congratulated JEEViKA, who has organized this mega event coordination with Rural Development dept., Panchayat raj Dept, and PHED Dept., they have come on common platform for “Common Cause” that is open defecation Free Bihar.