Amid row over urinal fee for men in public toilets, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), revoked its decision.
The civic body’s decision met with criticism after it was taken by it to charge Rs five from men using public urinals across the city. This backlash from the public and political circles left the civic body embarrassed and SMC Mayor Surinder Chauhan had to clarify in a media briefing on Tuesday that there would be no urinal charges for men.
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He further stated that there is no intention to impose any urinal fee for men in near future. Chauhan clarified that the maintenance of the public toilets in Shimla was being managed by Sulab International for which the corporation was providing Rs 2.44 lakh per month for the services.
Earlier, BJP state media Chief Karan Nanda strongly criticized the Congress-led civic body for allegedly imposing a Rs five fee on public toilet use, calling it a burden on the city’s residents and tourists. Nanda accused the Mayor of backtracking on his earlier claims and following Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s footsteps in imposing “anti-people decisions.”
Addressing the media, he claimed that despite repeated denials by the CM, the Mayor has admitted the implementation of the fee. Highlighting the issue of gender equality raised by the Mayor, Nanda suggested that instead of imposing new charges on men, the corporation should have rolled back the existing Rs five fee for women.
He further criticised the Mayor’s reference to the High Court’s directives, accusing Congress leaders of hiding behind the judiciary to justify their “dictatorial decisions.” He highlighted past decisions like the aborted luxury tax on cooking utensils in HRTC buses and the registration fee on tree cutting, labeling them as anti-public.
Nanda also accused the Mayor of inconsistency, alleging that he had taken a U-turn on transferring the public toilets’ management to Sulabh International. He called for Congress leaders to act responsibly and prioritize public welfare over political gimmicks.
