New Delhi, Apr 7 (IANS): In a surprise inspection conducted by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) led by its chief Swati Maliwal, officials have seized around 50 litres of acid from a public toilet located opposite the G.B. Pant Hospital in central Delhi.

The operation was carried out on Thursday and the officials confirmed the seizure of the acid on Friday.

Maliwal has now asked the concerned officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to appear before the commission on April 11 with a detailed report on the matter.

"I was shocked to discover huge quantities of acid kept in the open at a public toilet in Delhi. It could have been used by people for criminal activities. The fact that acid is being used in public toilets for cleaning purposes on a large scale is unacceptable and shameful," said Maliwal.

"Strict action should be taken against the authorities for encouraging the use of acid for cleaning in toilets. Also, there should be no fee for using public toilets. All the toilets should be functional at all times, and if any toilet is non-functional, strict action should be taken against the official(s) responsible for it," she added.

During the inspection on Thursday, the commission had noticed that Rs 10 was being charged from the users each time they used the toilet.

"The commission was also informed that the toilet closes down at 10 p.m., rendering women and girls vulnerable to open defecation," said a DCW official.