Agarwal said the district education department had awarded toilet-cleaning contracts to select NGOs, paying them substantial monthly amounts. However, most schools reported that toilets remained unclean or unusable for years. “In several schools, toilets have been locked for a long time, yet bills continued to be approved and payments released,” he said.
The issue came into focus during a recent meeting of headmasters held at a government school, where many principals stated that the contracted NGOs had not visited even once. Despite this, full monthly bills were routinely submitted and cleared. Agarwal termed the situation “a blatant misuse of public funds” and urged the district administration and the state’s education minister to initiate strict action.
Headmasters reportedly told the MLA that the lack of functional toilets was directly affecting attendance, particularly for girl students. “This is not just corruption; it is an assault on the dignity and future of our children,” Agarwal said, adding that the misappropriated funds ran into crores while not a single toilet was cleaned as per contract obligations.
The revelations have raised serious questions about the monitoring mechanisms under the Swachh Bharat Mission and the accountability of district officials who approved payments. With allegations pointing to systemic lapses and deliberate oversight, pressure is now building on the administration to act swiftly.
District authorities have yet to issue an official response, but the matter is expected to trigger inspections across schools as the state government faces demands for immediate disciplinary and legal action against those involved.
