HP High Court: Take steps to improve condition of public toilets

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, July 8

Expressing serious concern over the bad condition of toilets in the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Special Secretary (Health) and Medical Superintendent, IGMC, to take remedial actions in this regard immediately.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja directed both the officers to complete the exercise within two weeks and file a status report by the next date of hearing. The Bench listed the matter for July 19.

The court passed the order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the issue of poor maintenance of public toilets.

During the course of the hearing, a newspaper report was placed on record by the amicus curie, wherein it was stated that despite the repeated orders of the court, women were being charged Rs 5 to Rs 10 for using urinals.

It had been specifically mentioned in the news article that women were being charged Rs 5 for using public toilets at the Mall, Rani Jhansi Park, Lower Bazaar and Middle Bazaar in Shimla, while they had to pay up to Rs 10 for using the facilities situated at Old Bus Stand and Tara Hall.

Taking a note of the issue, the court observed that, “This indeed is a serious matter, as it amounts not only to the violation of basic human rights of a citizen, but is also against the orders passed by this court from time to time.”

It observed that, “We expect Sulabh International Social Service Organisation to implement the orders of the court more seriously, or else we may be constrained to initiate contempt proceedings against it, as has been already directed in the previous orders.”

While passing the order, the court also placed on record its appreciation to the print and electronic media for having given wide publicity to the issue in question and hoped that they would continue to do so in future also.