With 50% women corporators, should fairer sex pay for loos?

Corporators present at the ‘My Locality My Voice’ event at SPN Doshi Women’s College were stunned when young women voters throw them a googly: Why did women have to pay for using public toilets while men use it for free?

Nisha Ahankare (20), a BMM student of SNDT University said, “I fail to understand why only women are being charged for using loos while men pee free. Moreover, women’s toilets are also very dirty across the city.”

Corporators present in the programme accepted that they had never thought of this point. Shiv Sena corporator Ashwini Mate had no answer. Seasoned BJP politician Bhalchandra Shirshat said, “Only urinals are free for men. For toilets, they will also need to pay. Since women don’t have separate urinals, they are being charged for peeing also. However, I never thought about this point.”

He then threw the ball in Women Corporators court. “Women can resolve this issue as they have over 51% hold in BMC. In the coming election their strength may reach 55% as many wards including Mate’s have become open.” Since elections are round the corner, he assured women that he would take up the issue after the elections.

DNA has recently been raising the issue of unavailability of sufficient public loos and the fact that they have to pay for usage while it is free for men. BSc student Akanksha said, “I don’t think that the toilets are high revenue generators also.”