SRK, Balan may be part of Centre`s total sanitation campaign

New Delhi: Even though they haven’t signed any film together, we might just see Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Vidya Balan come together for common cause. The two will soon be part of a media blitzkrieg to popularise Centre`s total sanitation campaign which aims at eradicating the practice of open defecation.

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who also holds the portfolio of Drinking Water and Sanitation, has already approached Khan and the "Dirty Picture" actress seeking their participation in the campaign. "I have contacted both Shah Rukh and Vidya Balan. Their initial response have been positive," he said. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is already part of the campaign and talks were also planned with filmmaker Shyam Benegal to make a movie on sanitation. Ramesh said the idea is to utilise their service in a massive communication programme to popularise total sanitation campaign. "We have to bring visibility to the sanitation programme," he said. Census 2011 data on houses, household amenities and assets has revealed that 49.8 per cent of Indian households defecate in open. Only 46.9 per cent of India`s 24.66 crore households have a latrine facility and 3.2 per cent people use public toilets. Ramesh has set a target of 10 years to eradicate open defecation. PTI