Cyberabad Is Trying To Fit The Bill

The Naidu administration is virtually creating a new city for the March 24 "flying visit" of US president Bill Clinton.

Although Mr Clinton will be spending just four hours here and has two engagements, there is a major cleanliness drive on.

There is being done in honour of the "first visit by world's most powerful man to Hyderabad."

Roadside enroachments have been pulled down. Private and public buildings by the main roads have been given a fresh coat of paint.

Potholes are being filled up, roads re-carpeted. Dividers and traffic islands are coming up everywhere.

Lush green grass and flowers are being planted at major places. This despite the fact that Hyderabad is reeling under a dry spell and water is being rationed to citizens every alternate day.

 

Instructions have been issued that no stray animals or beggars should be seen loitering in the city even during the visit of the advance teams of US officials. Consequently, the city traffic police have started rounding up beggars all over the city - over 2000 at last count - irrespective of whether Clinton takes that route or not.

Those rounded up are divided into two groups: the disabled are sent to beggar homes like the one at Kukatpally on the city's outskirts or just let off with a warning that they should keep off city limits till March 25. Able - bodied beggars are put through counselling and sent to work. However, some have even been manhandled.

On record, officials say that it is a continuing operation as part of their `Clean and Green' programme and has nothing to do with the US President's visit.

A senior officials involved in the operation, however, admitted that the government did not want the Western media and the US President to have a negative image of the city.

Hundreds of stray dogs have been caught and shot dead. The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) is impounding goats, sheep and even monkeys. About 200 monkeys were caught by the MCH staff on Monday.

All city-based diary farms have been told to keep their cattle chained till the end of the visit. However, this order is being flouted with impunity, leading to more than a hundred cattle being impounded every week by the MCH staff, said Commissioner P K Mohanty.

A number of political parties have criticised the drive against beggars.

CPI state secretary A Sudhakar Reddy said the drive against beggars was intended to conceal facts in the state.

Mr Reddy stated that there was nothing wrong in cleaning up the city on the occasion of the visit of a dignitary, but it should not be done in such a way as to cover the government's shortcomings.