IE: Deluxe toilets to come up at 3 WR stations: March 20, 2008

Deluxe toilets to come up at 3 WR stations

Private parties to construct modern toilets, own and maintain them for 15 years

E XPRESS NEWS SERVICE

COMMUTERS at Bandra Terminus, Andheri and Borivali stations in the Western Railway will get to use deluxe toilets, for a price.Under the Build, Own and Transfer (BOT) scheme, these modern toilets will be constructed and owned by private parties, but eventually be transferred to the railways after about 15 years.

As maintenance of toilets at stations had become a burden for WR authorities, tenders were floated under the Repair, Own and Transfer (ROT) and BOT schemes in October last year.

However, WR did not get good response to ROT, as private parties quoted only 5 stations out of the 28. Under this scheme, private parties would own the existing toilets at stations after repairing them, but transfer them to the railways after 15 years. Moreover, they can charge users only as per the Railway Board rules.

Two parties were shortlisted under ROT – M/s Gujarat Sanitation, Ahemdabad and M/s Akhil Bhartiya Paryavaran Sanstha, Pune. While the former did not quote any station, the latter quoted only five – Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Kandivali, Vasai Road and Nallasopara.

Under BOT, Sulabh International and Janseva Labour Cooperative Society were shortlisted. While the former got Bandra Terminus and Andheri station, the latter bagged Borivali station for con struction of deluxe toilets.

“Within six months these toilets will be ready,” said a senior WR official.

But the problem for WR is far from solved. There are 183 toilets at 28 stations. Short-term contracts have been given at four stations.

Satyaprakash, divisional railway manager of WR, said, “Very soon we are going to float tenders under the ROT scheme for 15 stations.