The chief minister of Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide improved toilet facilities in the state, which has already been declared open-defecation free (ODF) by the previous BJP-led government.

In a separate letter, Baghel sought the release Rs 6,000 crore due to the state agencies and informed the Prime Minister about the additional financial burden on the state due to non-compensation for the loss of surplus paddy.

While expressing concern about toilet construction in Chhattisgarh, Baghel, in the first letter, said around 15 lakh families are yet to have access to advanced toilet facilities despite the state being declared ODF by the previous Raman Singh government. The letter urged the Prime Minister to extend this essential facility to the deprived families.

"The letter has proposed an enhancement in the financial assistance provided for the construction of toilet facilities, suggesting an increase from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 per family. The chief minister has requested approval for the construction of toilets in Maoist-affected and remote areas through gram panchayats,” said a release issued by the chief minister's secretariat.

The letter cites the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), which reveals that 88.2 per cent of families in urban areas of Chhattisgarh and 73.5 per cent in rural areas have availed themselves of improved toilet facilities.

“This indicates that 76.8 per cent of total families in the state are utilising upgraded toilet facilities, while 23.2 per cent are still deprived of this fundamental amenity. Notably, the physical inspection of toilets during the recent socio-economic survey conducted by the state government aligns with the data released by the National Family Health Survey-5,” the letter states.

The letter elaborates that during the previous government's tenure, over 32 lakh toilets were constructed and the entire state was declared ODF in January 2018.

“An expenditure exceeding Rs 4,000 crore was allocated for these toilet construction. Despite this substantial investment, the current concern and subject of investigation lies in the fact that around 15 lakh families in the state are currently devoid of access to improved toilet facilities,” the letter states.

The letter seeks an independent third-party investigation into the situation by the administrative department of the central government.

The second letter highlights the pending dues of the Chhattisgarh state agencies.

The letter states that the pending liabilities of state agencies at the level of the Government of India/Food Corporation of India (FCI) have reached around Rs 6,000 crore.

The letter adds that the state government continues to face significant losses even in the disposal of surplus paddy after depositing the rice to the central pool, owing to the lack of reimbursement from the Centre. This places an additional burden on the state government.

Urging swift action, Baghel called upon the Prime Minister to address the seriousness of the situation and direct the officials concerned to establish a definite timeline for clearing the long-pending dues.

“Furthermore, the chief minister requested the Prime Minister to take necessary steps to promptly transfer the legal claim amount to the state government,” said the release issued by the chief minister's secretariat.