In his latest letter to municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal, Lodha said that canceling the tender, when it was in the final stage, and opting for precast toilets now would delay the construction of public toilets and inconvenience citizens. “Therefore, I would like to suggest that you continue the tender process,” Lodha stated in the letter. “Also, separate tenders for the construction of new or additional public toilets through corporate companies should be floated and finalised so that the work starts at the same time.” It further mentioned that “corporate companies trying to chip in is welcome”.
Following Lodha’s July 5 letter, the BMC had put on hold the Rs 488-crore tender though the process was in the final stage. “It was then decided to procure precast public toilets through corporate companies using CSR funds. Expression of interest has been invited for the new toilets while temporarily suspending the tender,” a civic official said, on condition of anonymity.
Former Congress corporator and opposition leader in the BMC Ravi Raja slammed Lodha for his flip-flops and the BMC for “dancing to his tunes”.
“After Lodha directed the BMC to construct 14,000 toilets in the slums by pre-cast method instead of ‘cast in situ’ or bricks, the administrators immediately changed their decision…the opinion of experts was not taken into consideration,” Raja said. “It is now clear that the municipal administrators do not take any decision, everything depends on instructions from the government. The issue of toilets is sensitive for citizens living in the slums, but the BMC is not concerned about it.”
