A health officer with Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) went overboard on Sunday morning while enforcing Swachh Bharat guidelines. The civic body officer hit a laborer with a stick and humiliated others to do sit-ups for defecating in the open.
Showing a complete lack of sensitivity for human rights, BMC area health officer (responsible for enforcing sanitation and hygiene) Ajay Sharvan admitted to hitting the laborer working at a construction site near Banganga area.
“I was informed that two laborers were defecating in the open. One of them had been previously warned and told to utilize the adjacent public toilet. We have fined both and made them do sit-ups,” said Sharvan, the BMC zone 5 official.
When contacted, BMC additional commissioner MP Singh, said, “Hitting or making a person do sit-ups is not permitted.” But, Singh did not comment whether any action would be taken against Sharvan and his associates.
One of the laborers, Mohit said that he was hit by a lathi by the BMC officer. Another daily-wage earner Mangat Ram was told to do sit-ups in full public view. Both were fined Rs 100 and Rs 50 respectively. The incident took place at 6.15 am.
Interestingly, the BMC officer who violated the norms, himself posted pictures of the incident. “Please do highlight my attempt and effort today,” Sharvan stated.
Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma and BMC commissioner Priyanka Das did not comment on the incident. Civil society activists have termed the incident shameful and a gross violation of human rights.
BMC has gone all out in its pitch to get adjudged as the cleanest city in the Swachh Bharat rankings for 2018. Last year, Bhopal stood second, while Indore bagged the first spot.
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