BMC panel proposes to bring back user fee for public toilets | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed reintroducing user fees for public toilets across the city to ensure their proper maintenance. The plan has led to mixed reactions from different sections of the society.
The discussion on the fee took place during a recent monthly council meeting of the civic body, where the public health, electricity supply, water supply, drainage and environment standing committee moved a proposal to charge at least Rs 5 from an individual for using a public toilet.
Committee’s chairperson, Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, cited that user fees need to be collected to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities. The proposal has been moved to the mayor for approval.
In 2023, the housing and urban development department had issued a notification making the use of public toilets absolutely free across all urban areas, including Bhubaneswar, to ensure greater use of the facilities.
One of the primary objectives of the govt then was to keep the urban areas of the state free from open defecation and urination. Accordingly, public awareness was created, and all the public toilet complexes got signboards that read: “free to use facility”.
“The public toilets should be made free for use. I saw a number of people using the facilities when it was free. The proposal to reintroduce the user fees might have a negative impact,” a Tarini Basti resident, Nilam Patra, said.
Soubhagya Nagar resident, Prakash Naik, however, said that a free facility is always prone to misuse, and the proposal to reintroduce user fees for public toilets might be a good move. “A minimum amount should be charged if not any higher fee,” he said.
City mayor Sulochana Das said the committee has moved the proposal, but a final decision is yet to be taken. “We will discuss the matter with our officials and other stakeholders before making the final call on whether to collect or not to collect user fees for public toilets,” Das said.
Bhubaneswar, an open defecation-free (ODF++) city, currently has 96 public toilets with 588 seats in different parts. It also has 52 community toilets with 361 seats in different slum settlements.
The discussion on the fee took place during a recent monthly council meeting of the civic body, where the public health, electricity supply, water supply, drainage and environment standing committee moved a proposal to charge at least Rs 5 from an individual for using a public toilet.
Committee’s chairperson, Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, cited that user fees need to be collected to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities. The proposal has been moved to the mayor for approval.
In 2023, the housing and urban development department had issued a notification making the use of public toilets absolutely free across all urban areas, including Bhubaneswar, to ensure greater use of the facilities.
One of the primary objectives of the govt then was to keep the urban areas of the state free from open defecation and urination. Accordingly, public awareness was created, and all the public toilet complexes got signboards that read: “free to use facility”.
“The public toilets should be made free for use. I saw a number of people using the facilities when it was free. The proposal to reintroduce the user fees might have a negative impact,” a Tarini Basti resident, Nilam Patra, said.
Soubhagya Nagar resident, Prakash Naik, however, said that a free facility is always prone to misuse, and the proposal to reintroduce user fees for public toilets might be a good move. “A minimum amount should be charged if not any higher fee,” he said.
City mayor Sulochana Das said the committee has moved the proposal, but a final decision is yet to be taken. “We will discuss the matter with our officials and other stakeholders before making the final call on whether to collect or not to collect user fees for public toilets,” Das said.
Bhubaneswar, an open defecation-free (ODF++) city, currently has 96 public toilets with 588 seats in different parts. It also has 52 community toilets with 361 seats in different slum settlements.
