The Swachh Bharat campaign has come as a boon for video and photojournalists. For the lensmen, there are plenty of photo opportunities lined up. From dawn to dusk there are programmes planned. From top government officials to public representatives, everyone is posing in front of cameras holding brooms, spades, pots and crowbars. And the ‘subjects’ never get offended if asked to sweep or clean the road stretch once more. Lensmen are finding it difficult to select the best picture.
‘Surgery’ for Secunderabad?
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s tour of the twin cities as part of the ongoing Swachh Hyderabad campaign has once again highlighted the long-pending and delayed works of storm water drains repair. Ever since the August 2000 floods, the ‘remodelling’ has been hanging fire, tardy at best due to issues of relief and rehabilitation. Mr. Rao seems to have realised the gravity of the situation and remarked thus at a meeting in Secunderabad: “When a patient goes to a doctor, he is initially asked to change his diet, exercise, etc.; if it persists, he is given a tablet. When the illness does not go away, he is asked to undergo tests, and then surgery is inevitable. I think the time has come to do surgery for Secunderabad (considering the current state of affairs)!” Will the operation happen with GHMC polls looming large is the question worth crores of rupees and a few corporator seats!
The good Samaritan
There is no dearth of ‘responsible’ citizens who come up with novel ideas to strengthen the functioning of the country. One such Samaritan hit upon an idea after seeing the plight of students who appear late for the EAMCET examination. He, then, decided to hold a press conference. Bizarre as it may sound, the person demanded that the ‘one-minute’ EAMCET rule be immediately implemented in all State and Central government offices. He reasoned that if students could be turned away from writing the entrance test then even government officials could be dealt with in the same way if they come late.
The speaker then said that such a step could greatly improve efficiency in government offices. Not surprisingly, the scribes were at least half an hour to one hour late to cover this press meet.
Summer fun
Cricket crazy fans of Hyderabad were disappointed by the lacklustre performance of the home team in the final match against Mumbai held at Uppal Cricket Stadium. However, the ‘paisa’ paying public did not allow the home team’s performance to dampen their spirit. With summer vacations in full swing, the Uppal stadium was packed. Despite Hyderabad losing wickets regularly, spectators kept themselves entertained and happy by dancing to the beats of the DJ, taking selfies and cheering both teams when a wicket fell or a boundary was hit.
A festive atmosphere prevailed despite the home team’s poor performance. When it became apparent that Mumbai would walk away victorious, a large number of spectators made a beeline for the exit.
A fan following
That AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha has supporters in the city is not a widely known fact. For most people, including reporters, it came to be known only after several groups from the city made their way to Chennai to join the lakhs who had gathered to greet her after the Bangalore High Court acquitted her in the disproportionate assets case. Celebrations in the city were mostly restricted to areas such as Trimulgherry, where substantial Tamil-speaking population resides. But it was learnt that people from several other areas also made their way to Tamil Nadu.
Reporting by Asif Yar Khan,
V. Geetanath, Rahul Devulapalli, M. Sai Gopal and Rohit P.S.