Mini-secretariat at Panchkula untouched by Swachh Bharat Mission

Grimy floors, moss-covered water coolers, cobweb-covered files and washrooms stinking to the high heavens, speak of the sorry state of affairs at the mini-secretariat

Officials helming the Swachh Bharat Mission appear not to have looked under their noses, for if they did, they would come face to face with grimy floors, moss-covered water coolers, stacks of dusty cobweb-covered files and washrooms stinking to the high heavens at the mini-secretariat, which houses offices of the top city officials.

The water-coolers in the building are crying for replacement, too. Most of them are broken, and covered with fungus, moss and dust. Placed between two stinking toilets, the water-coolers provide “clean” water to all staffers at the Panchkula mini-secretariat. (HT Photo)

Walk into the building, and it is immediately apparent that the floors have not been mopped and a thick layer of dust covers the plants on the ground floor.

DC’s waiting area spick-and-span

If one were to take the tea-stained staircase to the office of the deputy commissioner, one would be greeted with a spick-and-span waiting area with well-groomed plants. Other offices on the floor, including those belonging to the deputy commissioner of police, assistant commissioner of police (crime), planning officer-cum-deputy registrar, and the ‘Eminent Citizens’ CM window’ are all well-kept.

Go on to the second floor, and the picture changes as dark, dingy and murky corridors lead one to the offices of the deputy excise and taxation commissioner, District Taxation and Bar Association and district information and public relations. Stacks of files line these corridors, and the cobwebs and sheet of dust covering them suggest they have been there for ages.

Staffers avoid the washroom

The putrid stench emanating from the washrooms is intolerable. When a group of young women staffers heading out for lunch was asked if one could find a hygienic toilet in the building, they said: “The toilets in the building are in a bad state. It is best if you do not use them. We, ourselves, avoid using them or walk to the adjoining new building where the washrooms are clean.”

The water-coolers in the building are crying for replacement, too. Most of them are broken, and covered with fungus, moss and dust. Placed between two stinking toilets, the water-coolers provide “clean” water to all staffers at the mini-secretariat. The washed ceramic cups placed near the women’s toilet on a broken wooden table are used to serve tea to the entire staff.

Used to the stench: Employee

Ask the staffers how they manage to work despite the strong stench emanating from the toilets, and they say that they have become so used to it that they hardly notice it anymore. “Ab toh adat ho gai hai (We are used to it now),” says one resigned worker.

When asked about the sorry state of affairs in the secretariat, deputy commissioner Mahavir Kaushik said: “I will look into the matter, and ensure cleanliness is maintained.”