COIMBATORE: Scores of villagers near Sulur were made to pose for photos as beneficiaries of the central government’s Swachh Bharat mission in front of toilets they did not own; grant for the scheme running to several lakhs of rupees was allegedly pocketed by panchayat officials The report uploaded on the Swachh Bharat mission website says 158 toilets were constructed at K Madhapur village near Sulur in 2015-16. The central government had given a grant of Rs 12,000 to build each toilet. But a visit by TOI to the village revealed that many of the villagers who were mentioned as beneficiaries had no toilets constructed at all. Activists say less than 50 toilets were constructed during the period, though the grant for the rest of the toilets had been obtained.The photographs of beneficiaries in front of the toilets uploaded by the panchayat officials on the central government website clearly reveals that the villagers were made to pose in front of the same toilet, but were shown as different ones to claim the grant.Three villagers listed as beneficiaries told TOI that they were made to pose in front of same toilet. One person, who was not even a resident of K Madhapur, but had come there to meet a relative, was made to pose in front of a toilet as a beneficiary.The scamsters who comprised panchayat officials, local politicians and a few residents who acted as middlemen, had also repainted toilets - constructed years ago by some villagers on their own - with the Swachh Bharat logo to claim the central grant.Block development officer Jayashree said she had received complaints mentioning 40 such toilets and she had stalled their payments. “We will inspect the village and ensure all such discrepancies are removed,” she said.Project director of the district rural development agency (DRDA) Ruban Sankar Raj said that they will conduct a thorough probe.

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