Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi Sunday said sanitation cannot be limited to smart cities only and involvement of people in villages was needed to keep them clean.
The former IPS officer who was on her weekend bicycle visit to five villages in the union territory, said in her WhatsApp message to reporters and officials that villages have to be clean too.
“There should be involvement of communities and their contributions should also be ensured,” she added.
She said sanitation could not be limited to smart cities only and “villages should be clean as well.”
This was Bedi’s 188th weekend visit since she assumed office in May 2016.
After visiting five villages today, the Lt Governor said, “these villages have been found to be wanting in sanitation, good roads and the community toilets available in the villages remained unused.”
The infrastructure constructed for the benefit of the fishermen remained unutilised, she added.
Bedi, who was accompanied by officials of Raj Nivas and the commune panchayat also said there was open defecation and no community participation in executing rural sanitation works.
The Lt Governor announced her office would focus more on rural areas and commune panchayats to ensure a water-rich Puducherry.
