With private contractors in control, 108 public toilets to be operational in Chandigarh from today

Failing to get any response from the banks that were asked to maintain public toilets, the civic body had invited bids from private contractors.

FINALLY, 108 public toilets in the city will be made operational from Friday. Private contractors have been allotted the operation and maintenance of the toilets that had been uncared for.

Failing to get any response from the banks that were asked to maintain public toilets, the civic body had invited bids from private contractors. The contractors will get a profit of 10 per cent. They will have to bear the expenses of routine maintenance and daily cleaning of the toilets as well.

Mayor Arun Sood said, “A total of 108 toilets will be made functional from tomorrow. The remaining ones will also be made fully operational soon.”

Last week, local MP Kirron Kher had written to UT Adviser Parimal Rai, asking him to direct the department concerned to make the toilets operational within a period of two months.

[related-post]

Watch Video: What’s making news

In her letter, she mentioned that public toilets across the city beautiful were in a bad condition. There was no proper water supply, no electricity and no sanitation in these toilets.

Earlier, Municipal Commissioner Baldeo Purushartha had urged the private and public sector banks to take up the maintenance of the public toilets under corporate social responsibility. Although initially 40 banks agreed to do this in a meeting with the commissioner, they backed out later. To make the city free of open defecation, now it has become important for the civic body to make its public toilets functional.

The resident welfare associations and market welfare associations of the sectors were offered a chance to take over the maintenance of these toilets. But most of them had given up.

Story continues below this ad

Public toilets in various sectors are in a bad shape. Either the taps are leaking or there is poor water supply. Some toilets have been occupied by rickshaw-pullers, vendors or labourers.

The controversy

THE CBI had registered a case against senior MC officials for allegedly causing a loss of around Rs 13.66 crore to the state exchequer by awarding tenders to the company for maintaining sanitation of 86 public toilets for five years in 2007. The company, Selvel Media, was given the work to maintain toilets for around Rs 8,000 per toilet with an enhancement of 10 per cent every year for five years. After five years, the maintenance cost became Rs 12,000 per month. When the tenders were floated again, three companies applied and again Selvel Media got the contract for Rs 17,303 per toilet with similar conditions.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram