G.O. (Ms.) No. 51, Maintenance of School Toilets, 2021

Purpose and scope

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued Government Order (Ms.) No. 51 on 29 March 2021. It permits the Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, through District Collectors, to set apart Rs. 1 crore per month from the State Finance Commission population grant due to Panchayat Unions for January 2021 to March 2021.

The money is a separate component for sanitation work in Panchayat Union Primary and Middle Schools and government schools in rural areas.

Who is affected

Government Order (Ms.) No. 51 applies to rural school sanitation administration involving:

• The Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.
• District Collectors, except Chennai.
• Panchayat Unions and BDOs (BP).
• Panchayat Union Primary and Middle Schools.
• Government Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary Schools in rural areas.
• Sanitary workers engaged to clean school facilities.

The document states that Panchayat Union schools are the property of Panchayat Unions and that Panchayat Unions are responsible for maintaining sanitation and hygiene in those schools.

Key provisions

Government Order (Ms.) No. 51 authorises the following arrangements:

• Rs. 1 crore per month may be set apart for January 2021 to March 2021.
• District Collectors must determine the required amount for each block.
• Funds may be used to clean school toilets, classrooms and school premises.
• Funds may also be used to procure cleaning materials and pay sanitary workers.
• District Collectors must release funds monthly to BDOs (BP).
• Payments and procurement are linked to the reopening of schools.
• The arrangements must follow the guidelines issued in Government Order (Ms.) No. 79 by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS-1) Department on 14 July 2017.

The limited allocation took account of Primary and Middle Schools not having opened.

Background and relevance to property readers

Government Order (Ms.) No. 51 records that local bodies had previously been given responsibility for maintaining toilets in government schools within their jurisdictions. It also records that there was no separate Solid Waste Management budget allocation in 2020-21 for cleaning toilets, classrooms and premises in the covered rural schools.

For property buyers and owners, the document concerns the use of Panchayat Union grant funding for rural school sanitation. Its operative provisions address school maintenance, cleaning workers and cleaning materials rather than private property transactions.