MC’s Rs 1.10 cr goes down the drain

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus is on the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, 18 toilet blocks which were constructed in Novemebr 2013 in various green belts of urban areas as part of the MC’s pilot project are lying in a state of neglect. As the MC has failed to frame any policy on their allotment, these toilet blocks are lying locked causing inconvenience to visitors and moreover anti-social elements have damaged these newly built blocks.

On the visit to one of such toilet block in the green belt of Sector 19 A and B, it was found locked. In another toilet block, the floor was damaged, toilet seat missing and loose wires hanging inside. Besides, there was no tap in one of the sink that was installed outside the toilet block.

Councillor Mukesh Bassi, Chairman of the MC City Beautification Committee and member of the Water Supply Committee, said two such toilets blocks were constructed in his ward in Sector 18 and 19. These blocks were constructed to provide facility to residents but as the MC had failed to outsource the maintainance of these toilets, the areas around them had become waterlogged inconveniencing residents. It was sheer wastage of public money, he said.

Despite complaining to MC officials on a number of occasions, they had failed to address the problem, he said. Former Mayor and councillor Subhash Chawla said it was his dream project during his tenure as the Mayor in 2013, but the project failed due to the slack attitude of the MC officials and the private company.

Chawla said the company which had built a 10-storeyed building in Mohali in 48 hours was given the contract and it constructed the toilets at the cost of Rs 1.10 crore. But due to some dispute between the MC and the company, these toilet blocks were never made operational. The toilet blocks have now become home of anti-social elements, he said.

MC Commissioner Vivek Partap Singh said they would bring an agenda in the coming up F&CC meeting over the allotment of all public toilets in various green belts of the city.