Remove filth, stray cattle in 4 days: Allahabad HC

LUCKNOW: Taking strict view of the poor state of cleanliness and hygiene in the state capital, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Wednesday directed the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Lucknow Development Authority and UP Housing and Development Board ( UPHDB ) to ensure removal of garbage, illegal dairies and stray animals from the city within four days.

The court further directed officials of the three agencies to submit an action taken report on May 20. It also warned the officials of strict action if the report was found to be fabricated.

The court also directed LMC to file affidavits of contractors and agencies to whom the cleaning of city has been outsourced on contract, as well as of the supervisors who monitor their work. It further cautioned the officials, contractors, agencies, and supervisors that their salaries or payments would be stopped if the affidavits are not filed on next date.

A bench of justice M N Bhandari and justice Saurabh Lavania passed the order on a petition filed by LMC itself, of which the court had taken suo motu cognizance. Earlier, the court had sought proposed plan from LMC, LDA and UPHDB to clean and beautify the city. It had also sought the list of contractors and supervisors engaged in cleaning.

LMC had produced list of contractors and supervisors which the court took on record. It later found that there was no effective supervision of work of the agency or contractors to whom cleaning of areas has been outsourced. "This is nothing but an outcome of lapses of the supervisors. The outcome is that despite spending huge public money, the city is still having garbage and filth all over," the court said.

The court also took note of stray animals, dairies running in municipal areas and polythene being used in city despite a ban on it and directed officials to file affidavit after removing them within four days.

Issuing notice to district magistrate and SSP for co-operating in all instant matters, the court sought their response as well .