NEW DELHI: Unhappy over poor maintenance and upkeep of community toilet complexes (CTC) across the city, the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Wednesday cancelled its 30-year contract with the non-government organisation Sulabh International that was running 1,963 CTCs since 2004. It was also decided that until an alternative arrangement was made for running these CTCs, the civic body would operate them.

Alleging misappropriation of funds by the NGO and cheating the civic body by not sharing revenue earned through sale of space for advertisement in these CTCs, senior Bharatiya Janata Party councillor and Standing Committee member Vijender Gupta showed a video film to all Standing Committee members and senior MCD officials where he had captured the pathetic state of CTCs. Mr. Gupta had also held a press conference on Tuesday where he exposed the "wrongdoings" of Sulabh International.

Mr. Gupta alleged that the NGO has failed miserably in maintaining the CTCs and was also cheating the civic body by raising fake bills and not using money being sanctioned to it for its maintenance. Moreover, the voluntary organisation was exploiting safai karamcharis deployed in these CTCs by not paying them proper wages.

"All this clearly indicates towards a deep-rooted financial scam in the entire project which should be probed by a high-level investigating agency," he demanded.

Grave concern

Supporting Mr. Gupta, Congress councillors too expressed grave concern over the misuse of public money and depriving people of the facility. Congress councillors Jitender Kochar and Farhad Suri demanded immediate termination of the contract and initiation of criminal proceedings against the NGO for not following the Minimum Wages Act.

MCD pays Sulabh International Rs.1,100 per toilet seat per year, but the NGO has failed to use it for the maintenance of CTCs. Moreover, the NGO that was to pay Rs.1 crore every year as advertisement revenue has so far deposited just Rs.23,000. "It has also raised fake bill for Rs.36 crores from various departments in the name of maintenance," they charged.

Expressing concern over the entire episode, the Standing Committee Chairman Mukesh Goel asked the Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam to terminate the contract with Sulabh International with immediate effect and take strict action against the NGO if it had violated any government rules and guidelines.

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