Seeing dirty walls, collector starts clean-up operation

Irked by the sight of stained walls and cobwebbed corners, the collector of Akola district in Maharashtra rolled up his sleeves and took it upon himself to carry out a 'Swachhata' (cleanliness) campaign Tuesday.

Astik Kumar Pandey, the collector, paid a surprise visit to the Public Works Department (PWD) office in Akola, and found its walls spray-painted by spitting.

He had the staff brought a bucket of water and a piece of cloth.

A local TV channel aired footage of Pandey himself wiping off the stains of paan (betel leaf) juice on the walls.

Shamed, the staff assured him that they would clean up the walls.

The collector stopped wiping the walls clean only after getting the assurance, said a local official.

Pandey also inspected other departments. When he spotted cobwebs in one corner, he picked up a broom and removed them, said the official.