Seepage in minister’s house: ‘Wrong to start repair work during rains’

LUCKNOW: The video and tweet of Uttar Pradesh health minister Siddharthnath Singh have put a big question mark on the ability of the estate department to maintain and repair the properties of the state government.

On Monday, video of Siddharthnath Singh exposed the lackadaisical approach of the estate department when water seeped in from the roof of his bungalow. “If this is the state of the bungalow of a minister, just think of others living in estate department properties, “said the resident of an estate department colony. Estate officer Yogesh Shukla said, “The estate department was wrong to start repair work during the rains .”

Shukla said that he had himself visited the house of the minister and pulled up engineers responsible for the repair work.

He said usually the engineers were quick to respond and they always cooperated with the residents as everyone of them was a VVIP. On the question of private players to be roped in for maintenance he said, “In Delhi, the central government has already roped in a private agency. If private players are brought in here too, then it would only infuse a sense of competition. People will then also realise the difference between work culture of private and government agencies .”

There are around 2,000 houses and flats which are maintained by the estate department , while it also maintains roads , street lights and water supply around its properties.