ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, February 10, 2015 – GIS: Government is embarking on an initiative to construct bathroom and toilet facilities for vulnerable citizens.

Social Development and Housing Minister Hon. Delma Thomas says persons with disabilities, the elderly who live alone or marginalized persons in various communities are being targeted.

Housing Minister, Hon. Delma Thomas spoke to the initiative in Tuesday’s Post Cabinet Briefing.

“This year will be the start of a new thing in helping to eliminate the pit latrine..,” Minister Thomas said.

“We’re talking about health, improving the sanitation of our communities and, by extension, of the people in the different communities within the constituencies.”

Minister Thomas said although government is working toward providing indoor plumbing facilities for needy citizens, the transition would take time.

“We will agree that it would not happen overnight, because there are a lot of persons, maybe hundreds of persons, who still use the pit latrine.”

The initiative is part of government’s special projects programme, which Minister Thomas says, has increased in allocation from EC$ 5 million to EC$ 7 million.

She stated that each constituency will be getting an increase of between $50,000 to $100,000 toward community based projects, on a constituency-size basis.

“The fact that we are speaking of increasing allocation means that it will also trickle down to the constituencies and therefore there will be an increase in allocation for every constituency as it relates to special projects....therefore more can be done within the different communities.”

The projects are geared at developing communities in the areas of infrastructure, education, health and the environment among others.