Last minute hassles

MARGAO: Wednesday is the last day to apply for the construction of toilets under the ODF schemes. But the formalities of the process have created hurdles for the applicants. “They are not accepting NOC from the land owner on plain paper. They want the owner to swear an affidavit. Our property owner is not in Goa. How are we supposed to get the NOC?”, said one tenant from Navelim.

In another case, a son who wants to apply for the toilet cannot since his father’s name is listed in Form 1 & 14 who has passed away. “I have to spend money on succession deed and then wait for months to do mutation and add my name on Form 1 & 14. If I had the money to do that, I would have built a toilet instead of going to the government”, he said

The Deputy Sarpanch of Chinchinim Valentino Barretto said that very less time was given for people to apply. “The people are finding it difficult to arrange the money (Rs 10000). The previous Sulabh scheme was better and it was free. This scheme has put the burden on the Panchayat.  If the toilets do not come in time, people will start coming to the Panchayat and we will have to handle people’s complaint.”, he said.

Ashwinkumar Naik, a panchayat member of Camurlim said that the scheme has to be free of cost and should not require an NOC. “Toilet should be a right just like water supply. Making poor people get an  NOC for a small toilet is harassment and is a violation of their dignity. People should have to beg before their landlords or have to make trips to do mutation to get the NOC. ”, he said. Almost everyone who Herald spoke to said that the last date for the application of the toilets must be extended.