Rameswaram: Visitors to Abdul Kalam National Memorial can heave a sigh of relief now with the 'brand new' toilets finally being operational after remaining shut for over one-and-a-half-years.
The decision to open the toilets was taken after Onmanorama reported about the lack of basic facilities at the memorial, the kabr (resting place) of the former president situated at Pei Karumbu.
While the memorial was inaugurated on July 27, 2017, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the second death anniversary of the former president, the toilets remained out of bounds for visitors following a payment dispute between the Delhi-based construction company and a local contractor.
The Civil Works and Estates (CWE), the construction wing of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is responsible for the day-to-day running of the memorial, which has become a favourite destination for thousands visiting this temple town.
An Onmanorama report on the issue triggered an outrage on social media prompting the DRDO top brass to convene a meeting of CWE team to resolve the issue.
The delay in the construction of the memorial had prompted well-wishers of the former president to launch a massive nation-wide online campaign with the hashtag #Justice4GuruKalam.
While the DRDO acknowledged the success of the campaign, it has remained silent on its promise to undertake the Phase-2 plans for the memorial.
Speaking to Onmanorama on Saturday, Shaiq Saleem, grand nephew of former president and Abdul Kalam International Foundation trustee said: “One of the long-pending demands of the visitors have been met now. We are confident that all matters of concern will be addressed by DRDO.”
As reported in these columns, 8,000 visitors arrive at the memorial on week days on an average. The figure rises to 15,000 during weekends.
Palaniswamy, a resident of Rameswaram, who has been drumming up support for launching another campaign highlighting alleged irregularities at the memorial hoped that the DRDO would address the concerns.
“We are happy that the toilets are open now. This could have been done long time back if the officials were sensitive to the needs of the people,” he said.
The DRDO is yet to respond to Onmanorama's queries on serious allegations of cost escalation, non-payment to local contractors and use of low-quality material during the construction of the memorial.
DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy has directed the CWE to find a solution to all issues linked to the memorial, an official said.
Reddy could not be reached for comments.