Close on the heels of revoking an Uttar Pradesh order instructing woman school teachers to help brides get ready for an official mass wedding, the Public Works Department (PWD) in the state on Tuesday directed junior engineers to ensure stray cattle stay out of the way during chief minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Mirzapur on January 29.
The order issued on Monday by the PWD directs nine junior engineers along with their team members to tie stray cattle with ropes if they were found on roads on January 29.
Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to visit Mirzapur to participate in the ongoing Ganga Yatra.
The order states that "if stray mals are found on the roads, keep them tied to prevent any kind of disturbance during the Chief Minister's Ganga Yatra in Mirzapur." The engineers have been asked to be present with their teams at their respective places with 8 to 10 ropes on January 29.
The Engineers Association of Mirzapur on Tuesday responded to the directive by writing to the PWD department, saying their engineers were not trained to catch mals and if any of their employees are injured, then it will not be the responsibility of the association.
"It would be better if the administration gives this work to some other agency or persons who are expert in it," the association said.
The Ganga Yatra, which began on January 27, will conclude in Kanpur on January 31.
On Monday, officials had asked 20 female primary school teachers to help brides get ready for their marriage at a mass wedding programme being conducted by the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday.
After the order drew flak, officials of the state education department cancelled it yesterday.
( With inputs from ANI )