HC questions use of female workforce for men's toilet maintenance

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court raised concerns on Thursday regarding the maintenance of public toilets for men in a Raebareli village being entrusted with a female workforce.

The issue arose while the bench of the court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation () matter concerning the construction and upkeep of for both men and women in Jeyona village under the Maharajganj block development area of Raebareli district.

A division bench of Justices A R Masoodi and A K Srivastava directed for the filing of a detailed counter-affidavit in the matter and also ordered the personal appearance of the village head concerned in the court on May 22.

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The PIL was filed by Jamuna Prasad regarding the state of public toilets in the Jeyona village panchayat. Previously, the bench had summoned the village head to address the issues raised in the plea.

Complying with the court’s order, the village head had appeared before the bench and informed the judges that a common toilet facility for men and women was established in the village under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

“Three separate toilets for women and an equal number of toilets for men have been constructed at the same place. In order to monitor the maintenance of the toilets, a self-help group of 12 women, sponsored by the Rural Livelihood Mission, has been engaged,” he told the court.

On the court’s inquiry about the gram panchayat’s approach to maintaining the toilets specifically designated for men, the village head submitted that the same self-help group, comprising only women and engaged for approximately a year, is responsible for the upkeep of all toilets.

This explanation drew a reaction from the bench, which observed, “Maintenance of toilets used by men through a female workforce does not seem to be in line with any scheme evolved by the gram panchayat, which enjoys exclusive control of maintenance.”

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