Times of India: Madurai: Monday, January 22, 2018.
A RTI filed
by the Tamil Nadu Petrol traders association found that no government order was
passed to enable the public to utilise the toilets in the petrol bunks and
other public places if the need arose, in order to declare the city open
defecation free (ODF).
According to
a press release, the president of the association, J Selvam has said that they
had filed an RTI, based on a media report that the Madurai Corporation
Commissioner in a press release,dated 7.12.2017 had asked the public to utilise
the toilets in petrol bunks, in order to avoid defecating in the open in the
city. The association has immediately filed an RTI in this regard on Dec 12,
last year seeking a clarification. The reply from the information officer of
the corporation dated, Jan 19, 2018, stated, that no such order was released,
and that petrol bunks did not come under the control of the Madurai
Corporation. Similarly, the toilets in private establishments also did not come
under the control of the Madurai Corporation.
Hence, these
toilets could not be used for the city's ODF drive, without the consent of the
concerned persons.