Title - Sulabh backs out of CR's luxury toilet plan

Central Railway (CR) general manager Subodh Jain's ambitious project, first announced in late 2011, of providing corporate-funded 'luxury' toilets on major railway platforms, has put off one of the world's largest public toilet service provider, Sulabh International, in the pilot stage itself.

CR officials said that the well-known brand, which was supposed to build two "luxury" toilets at Thane, Mumbai, on platforms 2 and 10, has backed out of the project since it was dissatisfied with the terms of the proposal.

A senior CR official said the deal had nearly been finalised but the NGO backed out citing its "inability to (fund the) construction of toilets. They were only willing to maintain and operate it. Co nstructing a single toilet with all the requirements, such as air-conditioning, dressing rooms, waiting rooms for women, hand dryers etc., was estimated to cost Rs20-25 lakh per toilet."