Govt stays ‘aspirational toilets’ in SoBo after BJP MLAs’ objections

After strong objections by the BJP’s Mumbai MLAs on Thursday to seven high-end or “aspirational toilets” being constructed in South Mumbai, the state government has announced that an inquiry will be conducted by BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani.

- Surendra P Gangan

The legislators stated that the toilets, which will cost ₹1.73 crore each, were being constructed on footpaths against the directives of the Supreme Court, and were also in the buffer zone of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

BJP MLAs Amit Satam and Atul Bhatkhalkar raised the issue of the aspirational toilets through a Calling Attention Motion. While Satam pointed out that they violated set norms by being on the footpath and in the vicinity of heritage structures, Bhatkhalkar said that only stalls of physically challenged people could be tolerated on footpaths.