HC fines K'taka govt Rs 5 lakh for not filing compliance report on public toilet maintenance

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs five lakh on the state government after it failed to file a compliance report on the action taken on the maintenance of public toilets in Bengaluru.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit also ordered that the Secretary of the Urban Development Department be personally present in court on the next date of hearing on November 2.

The municipal corporation of the city -- Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) -- had filed a report in the earlier hearing of the public interest litigation filed by city-based NGO Letzkit Foundation.

BBMP was directed to file a comprehensive report on the condition of public and community toilets in the city within three weeks. On Wednesday, more time was sought to file the affidavit.

Senior advocate Puttige Ramesh, who appeared for the petitioners, submitted to the court that the government is showing a negligent attitude towards the citizens of Bengaluru.

Taking a serious view of the failure of the authorities to file the report, the HC imposed the cost.

Even during the earlier hearing of the case on August 8 when the HC had granted three weeks to the BBMP, the civic body was warned that action would be taken if it did not comply.

The BBMP had filed a report on August 6 which the court refused to accept as it was 'incomplete and lacking in details'.

The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority had submitted an exhaustive report to the court pointing to the deficiencies in respect of public toilets and the measures to be taken by BBMP to improve them.

The PIL dates back to 2020 and the court has issued successive directions to the authorities till now.