SDMC refutes Opposition allegations of charging for use of public toilets

New Delhi: After both the Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party flayed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation for charging as high as Rs 5 to use public toilets installed under the Swachh Bharat scheme, South Delhi Mayor Anamika on Wednesday said that public toilet and urinal blocks in slums and JJ clusters are free of cost.

She maintained that stern action will be taken against the private agency ensuring upkeep and maintenance of the toilet/urinal blocks if found guilty of charging money from users in slums and JJ clusters. Mayor Anamika also threatened to revoke their contracts if they failed to comply with the regulations.

She said that the SDMC, on the recommendation of the Standing Committee, had passed a resolution in the House in November last year which clearly stated that "no charges are charged from the users of the toilet blocks/urinal blocks situated in the area of J J colonies in SDMC".

She went on to allege that the two opposition parties were "creating confusion" in light of the upcoming municipal elections and asserted that their allegations are "false and baseless".

Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt and AAP's Durgesh Pathak had charged on Tuesday that the SDMC was charging up to Rs 5 to use the public toilets after the former posted photos of one such case in Andrews Ganj.