Govt cannot insist toilets in petroleum retail outlets be opened for public: HC

The Kerala High Court has issued an interim order stating that the government cannot insist that toilets in private petroleum retail outlets be allowed for use by members of the public.

The order came on a petition filed by the Petroleum Traders Welfare and Legal Service Society and five retailers challenging the move of the government and local bodies to convert these toilets as public toilets.

They contended that private toilets they maintained at their retail outlets for emergency use by customers were often being forced to be opened for public use. The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation and many local bodies even pasted posters in some of the retail outlets, giving the impression that these were public toilets.

Many members of the public and even those who arrived in tourist buses were thus seeking access to the toilets, disrupting regular functioning of the outlets and sometimes leading to altercations within the high-risk premises.

Citing protection under Article 300A of the Constitution, the retailers contended that toilets they built within their premises were private property.

Published - June 19, 2025 12:34 am IST