A committee of experts will grade the sample toilet made by each of the 28 applicants eyeing the contract to construct 216 public toilet-cum-commercial complexes for the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Applicants whose samples toilets get 70 percent marks will be allowed for bidding.

“This one-of-its-kind project in Asia where toilets will have food centres or retail stores on the first floor would include toilet units of international standards with water saving devices, solar energy panels and beautiful prefab structures,” The Hindu quoted MCD Leader of House Subhash Arya as saying.

The committee will have experts from Indian Institute of Technology, School of Planning and Architecture, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and Delhi Urban Arts Commission.

The civic agency hopes to raise Rs 400 crore from these toilets during 30 year lease period. Arya rejected the allegations that the government will give commercial land to private agencies at throwaway prices through this project.

“Land will be allotted for the project only after approval is taken. It is ridiculous for the Congress to allege that the project will favour the land mafia. The ‘request for proposal' document and agreement very clearly specify that the right to land is of the MCD and that the concessionaire would cease to have any right after completion of the lease period,” said he.