MNC offers course on toilets to MCC officials

As Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has taken up Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in a big way, a multi-national company has offered to arrange for a course on toilets for the MCC officials.

Participating in an interaction with the representatives of corporate companies, organised at MCC, here, on Thursday, Ravi Bhatnagar, a representative of Reckitt Benckiser, offered to arrange for a course at the World Toilet College at Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

“If not a long-term course, arrangements can be made for a weekend course, considering the difficulties in securing leaves (for officials)”, said Bhatnagar.

Bhatnagar, who was in the city to attend a session on Swachh Bharat, organised as a part of the 103rd Indian Science Congress that concluded on Thursday, said, “Soon the company will be launching a digital curriculum on cleanliness and hygiene for the benefit of students.”

Bhatnagar said, “Till now curriculum (printed) has been distributed to three million students in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. There are plans to cover an additional 10,000 students. This year, the initiative will be expanded to Karnataka, but it will be a digital curriculum.”

Besides students, teachers and parents will be covered, said Bhatnagar, who explained about his company’s contribution for the abhiyan.

He said, former president late A PJ Abdul Kalam was also involved in designing the curriculum. It is designed for the benefit of students from class one to three. Other initiatives include building wash stations at schools and operation and maintenance of schools.

He informed that the company is doing its bit in the realm of cleanliness in association with Varanasi Municipal Corporation and invited Mayor B L Bhyrappa and MCC Commissioner C G Betsurmath for a campaign, scheduled to be launched by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan shortly.

Priya Nayar, executive director of Hindustan Unilever, explained about the company’s motto to spread the message of ‘Washing hands, drinking pure and safe water and clean toilets’.

Siraj Chowdhary, chairman and CEO of Kargil India, who is associated with food safety said, street food vendors cater to a large number of customers. On the other hand, consumers should also be aware of their right for healthy food. He said, he had launched Surakshit Bharat Abhiyan to take the message to schools and colleges.

Nilanshu Basu, general secretary of Indian Science Congress Association, and Indira Chakravarthy spoke.