TV
A case of poor urban planning and improper utilisation of government funds has come to the fore from Jatani town in Khordha district where several public toilets, constructed under the ‘Mo Toilet’ initiative have been lying defunct since inauguration owing to alleged government negligence.
According to sources, these toilets were thrown open to the public over a year ago but have remained locked ever since. Further, lakhs of rupees from the state government’s exchequer were spent on their construction, overseen by the previous administration.
On-site reports further added that these ‘Mo Toilets’ in Ward Nos. 9, 10, and 12 under the Jatani Municipality are getting dilapidated after remaining idle for over a year. Scenes of negligence were all over. While several of these facilities lacked washbasin pipes, some had water leaking all over, and few had toilet doors broken down.
“Only one of these Mo Toilets near the Mo Jatani is functional. I find it hard to understand why the administration has kept these toilets locked if they were meant for public use,” stated Ashok Mangaraj, a local.
Further reports of poor urban planning came to the fore when locals stated that these public facilities were not constructed in crowded areas where they could have been useful. Ironically, bustling areas of the town like Sitaram Square, Bank Square, and Haribhaina Square do not have even a single functional public toilet.
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“We have appealed to the administration several times to construct a public toilet in market areas instead of deserted stretches but nothing has been done on the matter so far,” said Rabi Kumar Panda, a Jatani resident.
Meanwhile, the executive officer of Jatani Municipality, Surjyamani Pattajoshi cited a lack of water as the reason why many of these toilets were locked but insisted that they are being regularly cleaned.
“A dedicated team looks after the maintenance of these facilities regularly. As far as the locked toilets are concerned, we have written to WATCO (Water Department) to ensure water supply following which the facilities will be reopened,” he added.
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However, locals claimed that owing to administrative apathy, the toilets are no longer in usable condition and the structures have instead turned into hubs for anti-social activities.
