Installed with much fanfare, bottle crushers and sanitary pad machines at various government offices, institutions and schools are now lying defunct.
The initiative, funded under the Smart City Mission, saw an expenditure of approximately ₹50 lakh for the purchase of 10 bottle crushers and 60 sanitary pad machines two years ago.
The municipal corporation (MC) is yet to address the malfunctioning machines, leading to questions about the allocation of funds.
Officials note that the bottle crusher machine does not require additional funds for operation, while the sanitary napkin machine necessitates a ₹5-coin for a sanitary pad.
According to officials, the vendor responsible for the machine’s maintenance and pad refilling has not fulfilled their duties. During visits to various institutions, it was observed that all the machines were lying defunct, with sanitary napkins unavailable for several months.
The bottle crusher machine at the civil hospital is also non-functional, with authorities attributing the lapse to a technical glitch. However, no efforts have been made to fix the problem and restart the machine.
Sanitary, the sanitary pad machines at Government Senior Secondary School, Mangat village, have been non-operational for several months. Despite complaints about a technical issue, no corrective action has been taken by the concerned authorities.
{{/usCountry}}Sanitary, the sanitary pad machines at Government Senior Secondary School, Mangat village, have been non-operational for several months. Despite complaints about a technical issue, no corrective action has been taken by the concerned authorities.
{{/usCountry}}Kuldeep Singh Khaira, a city resident, said, “The government invests in various machines and equipment, but it should direct contractors or vendors to maintain these assets. These machines lying defunct are a sheer waste of public funds.”
Another city resident, Jasleen Kaur said, “The government should take note of these equipment as most of the machines are out of order and public money is getting wasted only by purchasing the machines that are not being mainatianed.”
Civic body executive engineer Balwinder Singh, meanwhile, assured action, saying, “I will dispatch a team to identify non-functional machines. Directions will be issued to the vendor for rectification to ensure people do not face inconvenience.”