The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to privatize public toilets and has approved an estimated cost of Rs 1,167 crore for over 7,000 toilet seats. The tender will be floated in October for construction and renovation in various zones under packages 2, 3, and 4. The selected concessionaire will design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) the toilets over a nine-year period.
Currently, more than 3,000 toilet seats have been renovated, with ongoing work expected to finish by November. Under Package 2, 2,301 seats will be built and renovated across zones 1-4 for Rs 350 crore. Package 3 will see repairs in 2,760 toilets in zones 7-10 for Rs 443 crore, while Rs 373 crore is allocated for zones 11-15 under Package 4.
K Dhanasekaran, head of the accounts committee, urged the Mayor and Commissioner to reconsider privatization, citing delays by private contractors in previous projects.