Civic sense takes a knock at LMC

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation is responsible for cleanliness and sanitation in the city. But its office is filthy with paan stains and heaps of garbage. Stray canines can be found roaming here freely

LUCKNOW: Not only Lucknow but the entire India went into a cleaning overdrive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his Swacch Bharat Mission on October 20. In fact, many, including bigwigs, can still be seen wielding brooms and taking out awareness rallies.

However, the the babudom at the Lucknow Municipal Corporation seems to be sunk into a sanguine slumber, as its premises are messed up with heaps of garbage. The ubiquitous orange splotches of paan stains near the seats of the LMC staff, a trademark for visitors, look revolting. The lanes on the premises stink.

On Friday the Hindustan Times found that the department entrusted with the task of controlling street dogs had one inside the office, sitting just next to the chair of an employee. Not only that, the department which has the responsibility of removing encroachments from the city, has a paan stall inside, encroaching on the lane inside the building.

Congress corporator Girish Mishra told Hindustan Times, “Charity does not begin at home for Lucknow Municipal Corporation, when it comes to maintaining cleanliness inside the office. The filth inside shows that even the higher officials have no control on their staff. That is why the employees work in such unhygienic conditions and there is no thought spared for cleanliness.

“The common man going to deposit house tax at the LMC office also has to brave the stink from the garbage dumped near the boundary wall. Once inside the hall, he has to stand in a queue at the tax collection counter that sports stains of paan spits.

An elderly taxpayer even objected to some of the employees spitting paan masala inside the office on Friday. He also pointed out the stray canines roaming inside the office hall.

When asked about the filthy condition of LMC office, Mayor Dinesh Sharma said that he would take serious action against the people found messing up the premises..

“When we are initiating steps to clean the country, then filth inside the LMC office cannot be tolerated. I will direct the municipal commissioner to take strong action against the people who have failed to perform their duties. Those spitting and ruining the office atmosphere must be fined and suspended.”