Monday, January 22, 2018

RTI: Petrol bunks cannot be used for city's ODF status

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.