Home Minister Rajnath Singh goes on surprise checks across Delhi, takes action against two MCD officials

NEW DELHI: Surprise checks by home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday at public facilities across the Capital, including the New Delhi railway station, North Delhi Municipal Corporation office, Paharganj police station and LNJP Hospital, were followed by swift action against two North Corporation officials found lax in maintaining cleanliness levels and in public dealings.

Accompanied by lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and Delhi Police commissioner B S Bassi, Singh, who had only last week declared his intention to periodically review the status of public amenities and development works in the Capital, went around inspecting the facilities at the aforesaid offices. Singh appeared most upset with the state of affairs at the municipal office at Asaf Ali Marg.

Deputy commissioner Hemendra Kumar, who was not even in office when the minister came visiting, was relieved and repatriated to his cadre, the IRTS, within hours of the surprise check. Sanitation superintendent at the city zone office Mohan Singh was also placed under suspension with immediate effect, after the parking lot there was found unclean and the computer section in a disorderly state.

Deputy commissioner, health, Padma Jaiswal, IAS, has been brought in as deputy commissioner, North Corporation, in Hemendra Kumar's place. Meanwhile, an order went out on Monday evening from municipal commissioner P K Gupta to additional commissioners and heads of department at all zonal offices, asking them to ensure maximum cleanliness in office premises.

According to sources, Kumar and Mohan Singh had to pay for failing to take cue from Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign and ensuring clean office premises. After Kumar rushed back to office, Singh even tried to embarrass him by asking if he should take it upon himself to start cleaning the dirty premises. He was also heard telling Jung, "I can now understand why people are unhappy with MCD."

The home minister's surprise checks on Tuesday started with the Shivaji Stadium bus stand, where cleanliness levels were found to be satisfactory. Lined up next was a visit to New Delhi railway station, though the minister confined himself to inspecting only the outer premises, including a Sulabh toilet.

"The minister opted not to enter the railway station as it would have inconvenienced passengers... instead, he decided to inspect a toilet just outside the station which, to his disappointment, was found unclean," a home ministry functionary said.