Agra, Feb 1 (IANS) Panic buttons have been pressed and government departments are suddenly in a tizzy as Chief Minister Mayawati will begin her surprise visits across the state this week, and many believe she will start with Agra.
‘The fear in the bureaucracy is that in the run up to next year’s assembly election, the party supremo would like to send out a stern message to her vote-banks that the government is on the move and determined to deliver whatever promises were made,’ said a ruling Bahujan Samaj Party activist Raj Kumar of Jagdishpura, a Dalit locality.
The biggest fear of the district administration is the possibility of villagers venting their grievances openly if the chief minister chooses to interact directly with them.
‘Reports from Lucknow suggest she might land directly in a helicopter in some village,’ said a block official.
On Monday evening, Agra District Magistrate Amrit Abhijat suspended three teachers and warned a couple of others in the education department.
During his surprise visit to several villages, he inspected construction sites, interacted with students in primary schools and visited health centres. He has instructed all government departments to promptly meet the targets and tone up the working of the system lower down the village level.
In an Ambedkar village, the district magistrate was disappointed when he asked some elementary questions to students in a school. When the villagers complained against teachers, senior education officials were asked to suspend the three teachers.
In the district hospital and SN Medical College, panic is writ large as a state of high preparedness has been ordered in the wake of Mayawati’s impending visit.
The district magistrate of Agra has been undertaking tours of rural areas and warning development functionaries to speed up work on all pending projects under the 13 point programme for rural upliftment.
He has particularly asked block level officials to maintain good relations with villagers who are agitated over one issue or the other.
