At a time when conservancy workers are protesting against Corporation’s move to privatise conservancy works, the Greater Chennai Corporation, on Friday invited private contractors to run and maintain public toilet facilities in the city.

Factfile

Chennai:

According to civic sources, six contractors would maintain the toilets as the Chennai Corporation has floated tenders in six packages. 

Presently, there are 832 public toilets in Chennai with more than 7,000 seats.

“The successful bidders would be given the right to collect charges from the users as per toilet type and location. Contractors can collect Rs 5 per use from the user where footfall is higher. In lower footfall category, the contractor can collect Rs 2,” the tender document stated.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation also laid condition to the potential bidders to keep the toilets for the public use from 5.30 am to 10.30 pm every day. 

However, toilets that are located closer to large public gathering points such as bus terminus, railway junctions, hospitals and others would be kept open 24 hours.

When asked about the rationale behind outsourcing the maintenance of public convenience toilets, a Corporation official said that although the civic body spent huge amounts to maintain public toilets, the result was not satisfactory.

 

“The decision of handing over to private contractors will enhance the present service level. The chosen contractor will maintain the toilets for a period of five years,” the official added.

Apart from maintaining the present facilities, the selected contractors should also enhance the toilet by retrofitting necessary parts. 

“Private contractors would replace us with their workers. Due to this we would lose our jobs or would be made contract workers,” a sanitary worker of Chennai Corporation said.

Fearing that the move would encourage open urination and defecation, M Manojkumar, a resident of Valasaravakkam, said that persons who do 

not have money and those who do not spend money to urinate would choose to defecate openly. 

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled to be held on October 23 and the tenders will be opened on November 9.