Chennai Mayor denies corruption in maintenance of corporation’s toilets

Chennai Mayor R. Priya asserted on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) that there was no corruption of ₹4,000 crore in the maintenance of toilets in the city.

Chennai Mayor R. Priya asserted on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) that there was no corruption of ₹4,000 crore in the maintenance of toilets in the city.

At a press meet, she said the Corporation had been maintaining the toilets, and that last year, some of the facilities’ maintenance was outsourced to third parties. “In those areas, a review was conducted on the dilapidated and unusable condition of the toilets, the reasons for their disuse, and whether they were necessary for the respective locations,” she said.

“To renovate them, the toilets were demolished, and new facilities were constructed. Toilets are now upgraded, and people have been using these facilities as they are well-maintained. This is a ₹400 crore project,” she explained.

Regarding the safety of children in schools, she said that students were being taught about ‘good touch and bad touch’ through Gender Labs, along with lessons on gender equality. If there are complaints regarding child safety, appropriate action will be taken, she said.

When asked about ‘encroachments’ by street vendors on open lands and footpaths, she stated that shops are issued licences and that vending and non-vending zones have been designated to ensure they are at a safe distance from educational institutions.

She unveiled 30 new vehicles to clean 925 locations, including footpaths, bus shelters, and sides of interior and bus route roads. Each high-capacity vehicle will be filled with up to 1,000 litres of water, the Mayor said. “The vehicles were acquired on a rental basis. As of now, two vehicles have been allocated for each zone. Soon, one for each unit [or ward] will be deployed,” she said.