After Governor’s comment, officials spruce up Dhubri Civil Hospital and town

A Correspondent

DHUBRI: After Governor of Assam, Jagadish Mukhi’s comment during his visit to Dhubri district last month that Dhubri Civil Hospital was the ‘dirtiest’ hospital he had ever seen, there seems to be a change taking place in the hospital with respect to maintaining cleanliness in the hospital premises. Not only this, Governor Mukhi was highly displeased to see garbage strewn and scattered all over the streets in the town, and he had instructed the civic body and health officials to clean the town and civil hospital within one month’s time.

Though Dhubri Civil Hospital authorities woke up from their deep slumber and got the hospital and its premises cleaned within a fortnight, the civic body is yet to properly clean Dhubri town. Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Anant Lal Gyani held a meeting last week with ward members, including chairperson Pushpo Malo and executive officer Jintu Borah of Dhubri Municipal Board, wherein Gyani reportedly told them in strong words to get things in order.

At the instance of Gyani, civic body officials swung into action and penalized some persons for throwing garbage on the streets. Fine to the tune of Rs. 5000 was collected. Also, restaurants, tea-stalls and hotels were instructed to stop using plastic cups and throwing waste on the streets. They were also instructed to keep the surroundings clean.

But residents alleged that Dhubri Municipal Board had never engaged even half of its work force to maintain cleanliness. If all the safai karmacharis are engaged and garbage-carrying vans, including cess-pool, lying in the municipal garage are repaired and pressed into service, it will be possible to clean Dhubri. But there was lack of initiative on the part of some ward members, board staff and officials, residents further alleged. Gyani recently also held a meeting with local NGOs and urged them to create awareness on cleanliness in the town. He was contemplating to start garbage lifting on payment basis as pilot project in ward no 5, an NGO source said. The Governor had visited Dhubri district at the invitation of North East Craft And Development Organization (Necardo) to visit the Asharikandi terracotta cluster of village near Gauripur in Dhubri district. When contacted, director of Necardo, Binoy Bhattacharjee said that the Governor, in fact, had resented the filth and dirt in Dhubri Civil Hospital and town as well.

“Besides this, the Governor desired early and timely implementation of all the ongoing development projects in the district as Dhubri is one of 117 most backward districts in the country, termed as ‘aspirational’ district officially. However, after the Governor’s visit, the Dhubri Deputy Commissioner seems to have been taking steps to expedite all the development works, ensuring their completion on time, including cleanliness drive, and measures to make Dhubri town free from plastic,” Bhattacharjee said.