Lax babus face LG wrath

It was a testing time for school principals, hospital heads and civic agency officials as Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s surprise check on Wednesday bared official claims about cleanliness and left lax officials with suspension and transfer orders.

Jung and his team of officials took rounds of schools, hospitals and other public areas to assess the implementation of the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and were shocked to see the reality at some places, said a Raj Niwas official.

“These surprise visits will become a weekly affair,” Jung said, adding that the Swachch Bharat Mission is important and anyone found lacking shall be shown no mercy.

There was appreciation for some good work as well. The vice principal of government girls’ senior secondary school, East Park Road, was among those whose cleanliness efforts earned a letter of appreciation.

The coordinated surprise visits by Team Jung began at 9:30 am and covered eight hospitals, 20 schools and six Municipal Deputy Commissioner’s offices.

At the end of a busy day, Jung told the Chief Secretary to issue a show cause notice to the Municipal Deputy Commissioner (Civil Lines) and issue a written warning to the Municipal Deputy Commissioner (Shahdara South).

The contract of the sanitation in-charge at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital Rohini was ordered to be cancelled and the medical superintendent of NC Joshi Hospital, Karol Bagh, was issued a written warning.

The principal of Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 6, Rohini was ordered to be transferred, while principals of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, JJ Colony, Wazirpur, and principal of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Rani Jhansi Road, were suspended.

The revenue department’s Shahdara North deputy commissioner was also ordered to be suspended.

Two Public Works Department assistant engineers – in-charge of maintenance of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Bharat Nagar, and Sarvodaya Vidyalayas, Sector 6, Rohini, – were suspended.

Jung himself visited the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Khichripur, where he checked the cleanliness of the public areas, reception, and wards.

He also inspected the toilets at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Kalyan Vas and Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Kalyanpuri.

The action against Deputy Commissioner (Shahdara South) under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation was ordered after Jung was unhappy over the state of affairs in his office.

A senior Secretary-level Indian Administrative Service officer has also been appointed as the nodal officer for implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission, said a Raj Niwas statement.