Vinobha K T/Newindpress

Mangalore, Jan 18: The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has let a much-needed project worth Rs 35 lakh slip through its fingers.

Staring in vacum, MCC now blames lack of interest and negligence of the then corporators and officials for failing to latch onto the project. A little promptness by MCC would have got nine `pay-n-use toilets in city’ for Mangalore.

A total of nine toilets were sanctioned for the city through the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (KUIDFC) at an estimated cost of Rs 45 lakh under the contract package number 1307.

As per the project, the contract was given to Chennai-based Civic International Social Services Organisation on January 24, 2003.

It was planned to construct the toilets at Mangaladevi Bus Stop, Kadri Park premises, Jyothi Circle, MRPL Gate, Katipalla, Bykampady (near APMC), Kavoor, Kankanady and two toilets at Pilikula under the project.

But unfortunately, the construction of only two toilets were completed by the KUIDFC seven months after the deadline on August 23, 2004.

The toilets at Mangaladevi and Kadri Park were completed by the KUIDFC and handed over to the MCC. The KUIDFC could not complete the work on the remaining seven toilets since land was not identified and handed over by the MCC.

As a result, the Corporation lost the project worth Rs 35 lakh allocated for the construction of remaining seven toilets.

At the same time, the bill of Rs 10 lakh for construction of two toilets were already paid to the contractor on December 9, 2005.

But even after two years of the bill payment, one of the toilets constructed near Kadri Park remained locked for a long time. While the MCC blames the KUIDFC for the lapse, KUIDFC Deputy Director J R Lobo denied the charge saying that it was MCC’s responsibility to run the toilets.

Lobo told this website’s newspaper that it was upto the MCC to decide whether the pay-n-use toilets constructed should be auctioned or handed over to any agency.

“KUIDFC’s responsibility is over, after handing over it to the MCC,” he clarified adding that the toilet at Mangaladevi was handed over to an agency by the MCC itself and not by the KUIDFC. Lobo blamed that the project money was lapsed due to MCC’s inefficiency in identifying land.

Sources in the MCC informed that the construction of toilets near MRPL, Bykampadi, Katipalla and Kavoor were opposed by some corporators arguing that the project was not feasible and no returns could be expected from it.

Many organisations had been demanding a toilet near Jyothi Circle. But unfortunately the KUIDFC could not provide it since the MCC could not identify land for the purpose.

Meanwhile, the construction of toilets near Pilikula was opposed with corporators insisting on an explanation on why the Corporation should provide toilets for a place which does not come under Corporation.