Malappuram municipality's comfort station faces closure over low revenue concerns

Malappuram: The contractor managing the Malappuram municipality’s public comfort station at Kunnummal has formally requested the local body to relieve him from the work, citing poor revenue from the facility.

After securing the contract in March this year for an amount of ₹1,01,740, the contractor had deposited ₹33,914 with the municipality to run the comfort station till July. However, he has now demanded the return of the money, pointing out that there is no income.

The comfort station at Kunnummal functions in an old building with limited facilities. According to the contractor, the income from the comfort station is insufficient to meet the expenses, including the wages for employees. With modern ‘Take a break’ options available at several places, the old comfort station does not attract customers, he added.

The municipality was operating the comfort station with its contingency staff, as no contractors had come forward to take up the operation. Later, a person won a bid to manage it. 

However, the comfort station faced a water shortage during summer. Even though the authorities took steps to solve the issue, the contractor raised a new complaint regarding low income. The upcoming meeting of the municipality is expected to decide on the contractor’s request.

Meanwhile, the local body’s health section has recommended the construction of a ‘Take a break’ facility with modern amenities at the site of the comfort station, which could attract more users. A new building in place of the old comfort station is also expected to spruce up the image of the town.