Chandigarh civic body floats tender, proposes to spend Rs 30 lakh on renovation of VIP toilets

Lalit Kumar, executive engineer of the public health wing of Chandigarh engineering wing, asserts that the toilets are in a bad condition. They are not carrying out this renovation for the Independence Day and work will be done after that.

According to the detailed notice inviting tender, European-type water closet and tiles from plush companies have been recommended in the renovation. Bids for this tender will open on August 11.

Kumar said, “Other than VIP toilet, we are also carrying out renovation of five other men’s and women’s toilets each. There are 19 water closets, 22 urinals and 11 washbasins that require change.”

Of the amount that will be spent, Rs 7.71 lakh will be spent on glazed wall tiles.

Also, on the list of preferred make that has to be installed in the toilets, they have specified that preferred make of tiles has to be either Kajaria, NITCO, RAK and Johnson. Various other brands have been specified for other installations.

Activist R K Garg said that this is happening when they are already facing a financial crunch.

“When we are facing a financial crunch, these luxury and useless expenses need to be stopped. Engineering department is making an imaginative scheme to spend money on unproductive schemes,” he said.

He added, “High level clearance may be made mandatory as many such tenders are in the pipeline. I have already raised the issue of wasteful expenses which is happening all over. administration has to take a call on the issue.”

The civic body’s money is being splurged even as departments have been asked to spend funds judiciously in the wake of the expenses being incurred for relief operations amid the pandemic.