Kolkata (PTI): NCC cadets in West Bengal have started a sanitation campaign to educate people in the remote villages of poverty-stricken Purulia district about the use of safety toilets.

After regular parade and rigorous training sessions, the cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) go from door to door asking people to set-up sanitary latrines at their homes.

"It is a long-term programme taken up for NCC cadets for sensitising people towards this vital issue concerning health care and the first of its kind in the country, a senior NCC official told PTI.

"The cadets have taken up a 6-month programme to make people aware about the use of latrines. Apart from organising workshops and training, cadets will also visit the villages and urge people to install sanitary latrines in the households," Col Abu Sufian, Associated NCC Officer of 51 Bengal Battalion in Purulia, said.

NCC, in partnership with UNICEF and district administration, has planned to mobilise the disciplined cadets to build awareness on sanitation and hygiene in Purulia, where only 10 per cent of the households have sanitary latrines whereas West Bengal has a record of 76 per cent toilets.

State's record of sanitary latrine coverage is higher than the national average of 56 per cent but Purulia district lagged behind because of alleged lack of administrative push and inability of the poor villagers to pay the beneficiary's contribution of Rs 320.