(Image source from: No toilets)

Schools in Kerala have been issued an ultimatum – unless the school authorities provide toilet facilities to students they will not be issued 'fitness certificate' from the next academic year. The Congress-led UDF government in Kerala passed the significant decision on Wednesday, making sanitation and hygine a proprity for the state.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who addressed a press conference after a cabinet meeting, announced the decision of the government making it mandatory for all schools to provide toilet facility for its students.

Chandy stated that till recently the precondition for issuing fitness certificates was safety of school buildings. But from next year schools have to provide toilet facilities, along with safety and other facilities to get fitness certificate.

Not only that, Chandy made it clear that schools which lacked toilet the mandatory facilities will not be allowed to enrol new students.

Kerala has 196 government schools, which do not have toilets. The Chandy government has decided to provide toilet facility within the next 100 days from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan funds.

Another 1011 government aided schools were found to be lacking in toilet facility. The school managements have been directed by the state government to construct toilets using their own resources before the next academic year, added Chandy.

The Kerala government's move to make toilet facilities in school as a mandatory condition for issuing fitness certificate come two weeks after PM Narendra Modi called for boosting the sanitary and hygine condition in the country.

(AW: Pratima Tigga)