MADURAI: The female staff members of the Tangedco office in Samayanallur near Madurai city have raised serious concerns over the unhygienic conditions of the women's restrooms, which have fallen into disrepair, at the facility. The staff members alleged that the Tangedco has not taken steps to renovate or repair the facility, despite their several requests.
The demand came a few days after a commercial inspector was arrested by the police for filming the female staff members using the restrooms. One of the staff members said her co-workers, after the incident, have been psychologically distressed to use the restrooms.
A total of 22 employees -- 10 women and 12 men -- are working at the office, which has two restrooms each allocated for male and female employees. "The two toilets are in a completely dilapidated condition," a female staff member told TNIE. "The floor is stained and muddy, with a persistent and unpleasant odour. The toilet seat is broken and stained, making it uncomfortable and unhygienic to use. There is no proper lighting. In another toilet, the tiles are cracked and stained, and the walls are dirty with paint peeling off. The floor is wet and slippery, increasing the risk of accidents," she said.
Tangedco Chief Engineer (Madurai Zone) P Palaniswamy confirmed that around Rs 4.1 lakh has been allocated for renovating the restrooms in the facility. He said the facility was constructed before 1995 and acknowledged that, besides frequent repairs, renovations at regular intervals of time have not been carried out. "At present, we have proposed to renovate the two toilets in the Samayanallur office and two more at the Tangedco (metro office) in K Pudur," he added.