Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur on Tuesday complained in the Assembly that bureaucrats don’t answer his phone calls when he tries to speak to them about people’s problems. Gaur, also a former Home Minister, noted this reflects poorly on the State’s bureaucracy. The veteran BJP MLA made the observation during the Question Hour when Minister for Urban Administration Maya Singh was replying to his question regarding pollution caused by the garbage dumping yard at Bhanpur here.
The BJP leader said he called a top bureaucrat of the Urban Administration Department to discuss some issue, but he did not answer his phone. “The State Government has given partial information in reply of my question. I called Vivek Agrawal (Commissioner- cum-Secretary, Urban Administration Department) on several occasions but he didn’t pick up my calls. This is the condition of bureaucracy in the state,” Gaur said.
Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh supported Gaur and said when officials don’t pay heed to the pleas of a former Chief Minister; one can imagine what happens to others. “If this is the condition of a former Chief Minister, then one can imagine the behaviour of officials towards others,” the Congress leader maintained.
Quoting a report based on health check-up conducted on people living in colonies around the dumping yard, Gaur said 93 per cent of the residents suffer from serious illnesses caused by various forms of pollution. Minister Maya Singh, however, said the Government has taken several steps to safeguard the health of people living around the garbage yard. She said process was underway to close the dump site.