Coimbatore Corporation that is competing with other Indian cities to improve its Swachh Bharat rankings and stop open defecation is yet to throw open to the public two toilets (e-toilets) that it had installed in Race Course.
It is yet to pay the contractor who installed the toilets in Race Course and town bus stand. That the corporation threw open the e-toilet in the town bus stand only a few days ago, during Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s visit, is an aside.
Now the contractor, Eram Scientific Solutions Pvt. Ltd., has written to the corproation asking for the dues to be cleared — ₹ 24.20 lakh — pleading that it is an micro, small and medium enterprise and cannot afford the payment pending for a long time.
The corporation had engaged the contractor to built four toilets - two units of two each. The contractor installed the toilets in December 2016 and completed the scope of work mentioned in the contract by April this year.
Thereafter the corporation did nothing but wait to throw open the facility. It had said that it awaited VIPs to inaugurate the facility. The fully automated toilet is a pay-and-use facility where the door opens on the user paying ₹ 1 or ₹ 2 coin. The sensors sense human activity and flush before and after use.
It has power back and requires very less water than what the normal toilets require. And, it is also relatively maintenance free compared to the regular toilets, the contract company sources claim.
The company also says that it has won laurels including Swachhathon national award and international prizes for the e-toilet and has installed the facility in Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Thruvananthapuram, Varanasi, and other cities as well.
After installing the toilets in the city, the contractor company says it has sent several reminders for payment but has not yet got a proper response and wants the civic body to clear bills at the earliest.
Corporation sources say they will pay at the earliest.
