Forty persons, including women from nine families living, at survey number 2A/8 on Bhau Patil Road in Bopodi are using nearby open ground as public toilet facility. This was after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demolished a public toilet they were using for last 25 years without making any alternate arrangement on January 18. The toilet was constructed by the PMC on a private land. NCP corporator Anil Bhosale later purchased the land and asked builder Ravindra Sankala to develop the site. As the construction work began, Bhosale rehabilitated about 32 families on his land. But there were nine more families on the adjoining land who were using the toilet regularly. Two NCP corporators Duttatraya Dhankawade of Dhankawadi and Baburao Chandhere of Baner had placed a proposal seeking demolition of the toilet in October 2007, arguing that it was old and not used by anyone, said PMC officials. Local NCP corporator Shrikant Patil however kept aloof. The residents had informed the Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi through a letter dated December 19 that toilet is being used by them for years. Pardeshi approved the proposal on January 17 and a resolution was passed by the PMC general body. The very next day, the toilet was demolished by PMC under police protection. "Our life has turned miserable. Women and girls in our family feel ashamed to go in the open when several males are working on the construction site,' said Venkat Swami, a resident. "We have sent letters to all authorities concerned, but there has been no response.' The angry residents took up the matter with Supriya Sule, MP and daughter of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who was in the city in last week. They also went on a day-long hunger strike outside the PMC headquarters on Monday, demanding toilet facility. The residents then sought help of the Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Rahul Dambale to lodge a complaint against corporator Bhosale and builder Sankala at the Khadki police station. They claimed that tin sheets were installed on Bhosale's site that blocked their road. Khadki police called Bhosale, Sankala, PMC's ward officer Mohan Bhosale and the complainants on Tuesday. "The matter has been sorted out as the private land owners have given written assurance to provide sufficient space as road for the complainants,' said senior police inspector A K Shejal. Corporator Bhosale said he had done nothing wrong. "I am just interested in developing my land. The toilet was demolished by PMC.' While Pardeshi was not available for comment, ward officer Bhosale said that victims might get grants form PMC for construction of toilets in their houses. Sule said she has asked the NCP local corporators to resolve the matter earliest.