Stressing on "dignity of women", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged parliamentarians and the corporate sector to help build separate toilets for girls in schools across the country by next year.
"I want to start one work from today. There should be a toilet in all the schools of our country. A separate toilet for girls...It is only then our girls will not have to quit schools.
"I urge all MPs using MPLADS funds, spend your money in building toilets in schools. I also appeal to the corporate sector of our country. Under the Corporate Social Responsibility, whatever you are spending, give priority to building toilets in schools," Modi said in his Independence Day address.
He also set a year's target to achieve this goal.
"When we again meet here next year, we should be able to stand here with confidence that there is no school in the country where there is no separate toilet for girls and boys," he said.
Modi also pitched for making provisions for building toilets wherein women should not defecate in open.
"We are in the 21st century. Have we ever been pained by the fact that even today our mothers ans sisters have to defecate in open. Dignity of women...Isn't this is a responsibility of everyone?
"Women and sister wait for dusk. Until then they cannot relieve themselves. How much pain their body will be going through?...How many diseases they must be prone to? Can't we make provisions for a toilet for the dignity of our mothers and sisters," he said.
The Prime Minister said he is not hesitant about speaking about toilets in his speech from the Red Fort as the issue is related to the "respect" of poor.
"Someone will think speaking about cleanliness and toilet from the Red Fort...What kind of Prime Minister is this? But I firmly believe in this. I come from a poor family and poor family should get respect...This should start from here.
"On the eve of August 15, people will make tall claims. There is an importance to tall claims, even there is a significance of announcements, but then announcements lead to expectations and when expectations are not fulfilled then sadness sets in society," he said.
