Reeking toilet, dusty classrooms greet Anandiben

“We are trying to inculcate cleanliness and hygiene to the students and the condition of the school is simply against the values. What are you doing?” Patel is said to have asked the principal. A visibly upset Patel dictated a list of instructions to the embarrassed district officials accompanying her, including District Secondary Education officer, DD Patel.

Patel expressed her dissatisfaction about the hygiene of the room where meals served to the school students is cooked. She instructed officials to ensure that the grains used for cooking food for the students is washed and cleaned before being cooked. Patel also visited a secondary school in the vicinity and rebuked the staff for similar lack of hygiene. Here, Patel expressed wish to see the science laboratory but was met with locked doors — keys to which remained untraceable to the school staff for over ten minutes.

DD Patel said, “Our biology teacher is not regular here and so we faced a problem in locating the keys. The Chief Minister was unhappy and has asked us to ensure that the schools are following the cleanliness orders. We will put it into practice.”