Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Wednesday accused the state government of corruption and mismanagement in the maintenance of public toilets in Chennai.
He claimed that despite spending close to Rs 1,000 crore, the condition of public conveniences across the city remains deplorable and called for the people to remove the ruling DMK from power in the next Assembly election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nagendran alleged that around Rs 620 crore had been spent under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' for the upkeep of 10,000 public toilets spread across 1,260 locations in Chennai.
Additionally, he alleged that Rs 430 crore was allocated for the privatisation of public toilets in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones.
“Nearly Rs 1,000 crore has been spent, yet the quality of these facilities is abysmal. Who is this government fooling?” he asked.
Nagendran also pointed to what he called an inexplicable hike in maintenance costs.
“In January 2022, the cost of maintaining a single public toilet was Rs 3.18, but by September 2022, it had shot up to Rs 363.90. Where did the remaining Rs 360.72 go?” he questioned.
He added that three-fourths of the toilets in Chennai lack basic amenities such as water supply, doors and latches, with stained floors and a persistent stench. “This exposes the corrupt face of the DMK government,” he said.
The BJP leader also recalled the women-centric 'She Toilets' initiative launched in 2023 at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore, alleging that most of these mobile units had disappeared within a year. “The few remaining units are in such poor condition that they cannot be used, posing a major public health hazard,” he said.
Chennai’s public toilets have long faced criticism over poor maintenance and accessibility. While the city corporation has tried various models, including outsourcing maintenance to private contractors, the results have been inconsistent.
Many residents complain that a majority of the facilities remain unhygienic, and women and children, in particular, find it difficult to use them.
Civic activists have often cited a lack of monitoring and accountability as key reasons for this state of affairs.
Calling the alleged irregularities “outrageous,” Nagendran said the DMK government was “plundering people’s money” even in the name of basic amenities.
“This government will go to any extent to fill its coffers. Tamil Nadu will be revived only when this regime is removed from power,” he claimed.
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