A fouled-up cleaning job

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JULY 21. The fast cleaning job did not fool the Ministers. The stink was a giveaway and the debris strewn all over the compound plus the broken furniture in the dark halls could not be hidden. Apparently, officials of the State Juvenile Home for boys at Chanchalguda thought `clean and green' campaign meant planting a few saplings!

This was the scene which greeted Messrs. K. Vijayarama Rao and C. Krishna Yadav at the place during the 33rd `C & G campaign' which was kicked off here on Saturday. The tour programme of the Ministers and officials - MCH Commissioner Dr. P.K. Mohanty, Collector, Mr. Rajeshwar Tiwari - started off with planting of saplings at different places in the twin cities.

But, the accompanying presspersons were quite sure that the action would be at the Juvenile Home. Enough hints were dropped to the Ministers but they preferred to slot the visit to the fag end and perhaps, their apprehensions turned out to be true. The Home Superintendent, Mr. M.A. Khan, received the `guests', made them plant a few saplings and lined up a few inmates for the dignitaries to do some polite talk.

All that was done but Messrs. Vijayarama Rao and Krishna Yadav wanted to see more and trooped in. The entrance was washed but could not camouflage the foul smell emanating. Mr. Yadav straightaway went to the kitchen and had a glimpse of the toilets. They came out and gave a piece of their mind to the Home officials.

"There are more than 150 children under your care and you could have used them to take up the cleaning up. Most children have skin rashes which itself is an indication of bad hygiene. If the situation is like this today I can well imagine what it is like everyday," Mr. Vijayarama Rao fumed.

Mr. Krishna Yadav too was furious. "There is no proper maintenance with your desk itself being dirty. The toilets are dirty and there are no proper doors. What are you doing? Why aren't you utilising the provision for bleaching powder and phenol?", he asked. The official promised to put an indent.

This made the Minister even more angry. "What were you doing till now? Your office is in the city yet you do not seem to have understood the `clean and green' message of the Government. Will outbreak of diseases wake you up," he sought to know. The Ministers warned of severe action if things don't improve when they make their visit next.

The young inmates appeared meek but some of them said they have been staying in the same class for two to three years for unknown reasons.

The tour otherwise was a dreary affair with the Ministers and officials planting saplings at a colony near Tarnaka, on the road medians, Osmania University, B-Blocks and a few other places, as the photographers and channels cameramen shot. Children from a few schools also enthusiastically took part in the plantation programme.

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