PANJIM: While the capital city is already short of public toilets, two toilets located in the property of the Tourism Department have been closed and lie in a state of neglect and virtually in ruins.
While the foundation stone of the first Sulabh Souchalaya maintained toilet was laid by Dr Carmo Pegado, then minister of tourism in the presence of Panjim MLA J B Gonsalves on August 24, 1993, the foundation stone for the second toilet was laid by Dr Pegado on August 24, 1994.
A nearby shopkeeper said, “The toilets have been closed for the last one and a half years. I have been here since the last 12 years and have seen people using the toilets. They were very useful. We face problems and so do the tourists. But what to do? Nothing is in our hands. It is in the hands of the government.”
“We have learnt that it was being maintained by the Mandovi Riviera. But as that establishment was closed, the toilets got neglected,” he said.
When contacted, a Sulabh International official said that the toilets are no longer being maintained by them.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Sushil Kumar, Honorary Controller, Sulabh International, Goa State Branch, said, “We were maintaining the toilets for the last almost 30 years but the government took it back five months ago. It is the property of the Tourism Department and they want to develop it.”
When contacted, a senior official of the Department of Tourism, who did not want to be named, said, “The toilets were earlier managed by Sulabh International. They were in use till recently. One consultant was appointed and based on his suggestions, we invited proposals. Now the property has been given on lease to an agency. The agency has not given us a detailed project report yet. The agency will have to take clearances from Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP), Electricity Department before it goes ahead with any project.”
