Residents of Abhayapuri in Assam’s Bongaigaon district have voiced strong dissatisfaction over several public bio-toilets constructed by the Abhayapuri Municipal Board that have reportedly remained locked and inaccessible for years despite significant public expenditure.
According to local residents, the municipal board had set up a number of public toilet facilities at different locations within its jurisdiction by spending lakhs of rupees. However, they alleged that the structures have never been opened for public use since their construction.
The bio-toilets, which were reportedly built around five to six years ago, also lack signboards and information panels displaying details of the project, including the construction cost and the implementing agency.
Residents claimed that years of neglect have left many of the structures surrounded by bushes and overgrown vegetation, raising concerns about the wastage of public resources.
Questioning the purpose of constructing the facilities if they were not intended to serve the public, locals accused the municipal authorities of allowing valuable infrastructure to remain unused.
The issue has sparked resentment among residents, who criticised what they described as the negligent functioning of the municipal board. They have demanded that the authorities either make the bio-toilets operational without further delay or provide an explanation for why the facilities have remained locked for such a long period.
Municipal officials had not issued any response to the allegations at the time of reporting.
