(a) whether the Government has rejected criticism of its ambitious sanitation programme by United Nation officials stating that lower caste communities had their rights violated by being left to clean toilets built in the nationwide drive;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the reasons therefor;
(d) whether there is any truth in such a comment; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
(SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)
(a) and (e) A United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights for safe drinking water and sanitation visited India from 27 October to 10 November, 2017. At the end of the visit, in his end of the mission statement, he made some inaccurate observations about the human rights aspects of India’s water and sanitation programmes based on anecdotal evidence and incomplete information. The Government of India rejected his baseless criticisms and reiterated that India’s sanitation programmesfully conform to the Human Rights Criteria and Principles, as established by the UN system.