Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
India

Chandigarh's Public Toilets in Corruption Stink

Jaideep Sarin IANS, 06 May, 2014 12:02 PM
  • Chandigarh's Public Toilets in Corruption Stink
Built for the convenience of residents of this city, public toilets in Chandigarh are now raising a stink of a different kind.
 
The allotment of tenders for maintenance and advertising of these public toilets is now raising a multi-crore stink, with the city's civic body and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the whole affair. 
 
The CBI, after registering a preliminary enquiry recently, is probing the alleged involvement of officers of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation's public health wing in the allotment of these toilets to a private company, Selvel Media Private Limited. The officers have been accused of causing a loss of Rs.17 crore to the exchequer in the allotment of the toilets contract by tweaking allotment conditions to favour the company.
 
The company was originally allotted the tender for maintenance and advertising of these 86 toilet blocks from 2007 to 2012. The tender was later extended till 2013.
 
The municipal corporation house, which is led by the Congress, earlier this year allotted the tender to the same company under controversial circumstances even though the corporation's engineering wing had cancelled it a few days back. The company's tender ended March 31.
 
The toilets, which are strategically located in markets and other public places, generate a lot of advertising revenue annually.
The company that gets the maintenance contract sells the advertising space on the outer walls of these toilets.
 
Advertising is strictly controlled in Chandigarh by the city's rules. The municipal corporation allowed advertising on the toilet blocks in violation of the provisions allowed by the Chandigarh administration.
 
 
Following the controversy, the municipal corporation has got the advertising boards from the toilet blocks removed over the past few days.
 
"The tender will be allotted again after following proper procedure," a senior municipal corporation official told IANS here.
 
Sources in the CBI said the probe is being made regarding the allotment and maintenance fee approval of the toilets.
 
The CBI is looking at the allotment of toilets since 2000 and the fee charged earlier.
 
"The municipal corporation house was led by the BJP when the tender was allotted in 2007. The names of councillors involved in the allotment at that time should be revealed," Congress councillors Subhash Chawla, Pradeep Chhabra and others demanded recently.
 
"It is a shame that there was corruption even in the allotment of maintenance of toilets. With this scam, the maintenance of the toilets will be affected and the public will suffer. The concerned officers should be punished," Gaurav Walia, a trader, told IANS.

MORE India ARTICLES

UN's Pillay seeks peaceful solution to Ukraine crisis

UN's Pillay seeks peaceful solution to Ukraine crisis
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Tuesday called on all sides to make greater efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.

UN's Pillay seeks peaceful solution to Ukraine crisis

20 die of cholera in Nigeria

20 die of cholera in Nigeria
At least 20 people have died in a cholera outbreak in Nigeria's Plateau state, hospital officials said Tuesday.

20 die of cholera in Nigeria

Muslims need quotas to become better-educated, employed: Rahman Khan

Muslims need quotas to become better-educated, employed: Rahman Khan
Minority Affairs Minister K.Rahman Khan Tuesday backed giving reservation to Muslims, saying the community suffers from lack of education and scant represenation in government services.

Muslims need quotas to become better-educated, employed: Rahman Khan

RTE Act valid, but not for minority schools: SC

RTE Act valid, but not for minority schools: SC
The Supreme Court Tuesday, while upholding the validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, said that it was not applicable to the aided or unaided minority schools.

RTE Act valid, but not for minority schools: SC

I make a living by selling my books: Mamata

I make a living by selling my books: Mamata
Responding to an attack by BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the Left who have asked her to disclose who brought her painting for Rs 1.80 crore, Mamata Banerjee Tuesday claimed she makes a living by selling her books and does not take any privileges as West Bengal chief minister.

I make a living by selling my books: Mamata

Court asks BSES to pay NTPC by May 31, no power cuts till then

Court asks BSES to pay NTPC by May 31, no power cuts till then
The Supreme Court Tuesday asked BSES Yamuna and BSES Rajdhani, among the three private power distribution firms in the capital, to pay their current dues to NTPC by May 31 and said supplies from the state-run generator will continue till then.

Court asks BSES to pay NTPC by May 31, no power cuts till then

PrevNext