G.O.(Ms) No.79, Maintenance of Rural School Toilets, 2017
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued Government Order G.O.(Ms) No.79, dated 14 July 2017, permitting Rs.54.50 crore in savings from Solid Waste Management Phase I and Phase II to be used for cleaning rural government and Panchayat Union schools during the 2017-18 academic year. It approves guidelines for outsourced sanitary workers, cleaning schedules, payments and cleaning materials, and does not govern land ownership or property transactions.
Purpose and scope
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued Government Order G.O.(Ms) No.79, dated 14 July 2017, to fund and regulate the cleaning of toilets, classrooms and premises in Panchayat Union Primary and Middle Schools and Government Schools in rural areas during the 2017-18 academic year, from June 2017 to April 2018. The Government permitted Rs.54.50 crore in savings under Solid Waste Management Phase I and Phase II to be released to Panchayat Unions through District Collectors in one or more instalments.
The total estimated requirement was Rs.62.28 crore. The available amount for toilet maintenance was Rs.7.78 crore, which was stated to be sufficient only up to August 2017. The programme covered 32,793 sanitary workers.
Who is responsible
The school Headmaster, Parent Teachers Association or Village Panchayat may engage one outsourced sanitary worker for each Government or Panchayat Union school. Engagement must be through a Village Poverty Reduction Committee, Panchayat Level Federation or another outsourcing agency.
Key requirements include:
- Payment must be made to the committee, federation or agency, not directly in the sanitary worker's name.
- The worker must clean girls' and boys' toilets, classrooms and school premises.
- Exclusive girls' schools must engage only female sanitary workers.
- Payment depends on attendance and satisfactory performance.
Cleaning schedule
The approved guidelines require:
- Toilets to be cleaned at least twice daily, preferably once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
- Classrooms to be cleaned every morning.
- School premises to be cleaned at least twice a week, preferably on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Mass cleaning of school premises and nearby areas once every two months, or immediately before schools reopen after quarterly, half yearly and annual examination holidays.
Mass cleaning is to use Thooimai Kaavalars engaged by Village Panchayats and Mazdoors engaged by Panchayat Unions, under joint supervision of School Education and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department staff.
Monthly worker payments
The consolidated monthly amounts are:
- Primary School, Rs.1,000.
- Middle School, Rs.1,500.
- High School, Rs.2,250.
- Higher Secondary School, Rs.3,000.
Funds may also cover cleaning items such as buckets, mugs, broomsticks and bleaching powder.
Relevance to property matters
Government Order G.O.(Ms) No.79 concerns sanitation in rural schools. It contains no provisions changing land ownership, land records, property boundaries or land use.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Does G.O.(Ms) No.79 affect my land title or property purchase?
No property or land title provisions appear in the document. It deals with funding and guidelines for cleaning rural Government and Panchayat Union schools.
Which schools are covered by the sanitation guidelines?
The guidelines cover Panchayat Union Primary and Middle Schools and Government Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary Schools located in rural areas.
How often must school toilets and classrooms be cleaned?
Toilets must be cleaned at least twice a day, preferably morning and afternoon. Classrooms must be cleaned once daily in the morning.
Can a school pay an outsourced sanitary worker directly?
No. The monthly payment must be made to the Village Poverty Reduction Committee, Panchayat Level Federation or outsourcing agency concerned, based on attendance and satisfactory performance.
