By Asish mehta
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15: At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up cleanliness drive, state government officials are still nailing their colours to the mast.
One such example is the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Khurda, here. Overgrown trees and shrubs in the office have become a breeding ground for vermin such as rats, mice and snakes.
A lawyer at the consumer court said there are snakes and scorpions in the office. “At times snakes come inside the office and that is scary. The land has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he added.
The lawyer said there is no healthy working environment in the office.
An employee declining to be named said the office’s condition was worse, but after Narayana Mohapatra took charge as the president of the institute things improved. “There was no door in the bathroom; the colour of the building had faded, but after Mohapatra took over things changed, however, a lot more needs to be done,” he added.
The walls can be seen splattered with thick maroon spittle expelled by tobacco-chewing officials. The office premises is piled high with disposable plates, rags, waste paper, food containers, grass, etc.
Another staffer expressed his displeasure saying an agency was given the contract to paint and repair the building, but the fixing was not done. “The agency took Rs five lakh to paint and repair the building. However, the restoration still remains to be done,” he said.
The employee also said there are no windows in the room of a woman official. “The broken windows in the room of our officer Elora Bharati Dash are not being repaired for months,” he said.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum building is spread across one acre and is managed by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department.
