TN urged to oppose motel owners’ move
The provision of nominal charging for toilet usage was added in the tender condition after some motel owners sought it.
Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan
CHENNAI: Arappor Iyakkam has urged Chief Minister MK Stalin and Transport Minister SS Sivasankar to strongly oppose the writ petition filed by some motel owners who wanted to remove the tender condition against collecting charges for using toilet facilities.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Transport Minister, Chief Secretary and Transport Secretary, Arappor Iyakkam state committee member M Radhakrishnan said that it was in the larges interest of the marginalised people who use the government buses widely, the transport corporation has declared that toilets should be allowed free of charge in the contract for the government bus parking in the motels on the state and the national highways.
“This rule has been in place for many years. The provision of nominal charging for toilet usage was added in the tender condition after some motel owners sought it. Following the public outcry, the free toilet at motels rule was introduced again,” he said, adding that some motel owners had moved the Madras High Court seeking to allow nominal charges for toilet usage.
High Court has ordered the government to file an affidavit in this regard. Arappor Iyakkam has demanded that the state government make it clear that the government will never back down or relax from its policy decision and file appropriate documents to dismiss the case filed by some motel owners.