Red Tape Over Ripe Fruit — In an incident both humorous and emblematic of deep-rooted bureaucratic inertia, a well-known government college in North Kolkata finds itself unable to clean a mango stain off its main building wall — not due to a lack of intent, but because of the missing purchase order (PO) authorization from the Higher Education Department.
This bizarre standoff, now running into its second week, has drawn attention to administrative bottlenecks in public institutions, raising questions about efficiency, prioritization, and governance in the higher education system.
Red Tape Over Ripe Fruit: The Mango Incident
According to students and staff, the stain originated from a misfired mango throw by a group of hostel residents during a casual summer gathering on June 30. The ripe mango smashed against the façade of the administrative block, leaving behind a sticky, yellow-brown splatter across the sandstone wall.
Although seemingly harmless, the stain quickly became a symbol of delay and absurdity, when the maintenance department reported that they could not clean the wall without formal approval.
“It was just one ripe mango… now it’s a rotten stain on government responsiveness,” joked a political science professor, requesting anonymity.
The College in Question
The incident occurred at Acharya Prafulla Chandra College (APC College), a prestigious state-aided institution affiliated with West Bengal State University. The college, known for its academic legacy and colonial-era architecture, is located in the Dum Dum area and caters to over 5,000 students annually.
Despite its stature, the college is often caught in funding and staffing delays, typical of many state-run institutions.
The Purchase Order Problem
At the core of the matter lies a tangled approval process:
- The maintenance team submitted a requisition slip to purchase cleaning materials (mild acid solvent, protective gear, scaffolding).
- The Principal forwarded it to the college governing body.
- The governing body, citing budgetary norms, sought permission from the Higher Education Directorate.
- The directorate asked for clarification on the nature of the stain, triggering another round of documentation.
- A purchase order is still pending as of July 11, with no clarity on when approval will arrive.
“We are being told to use only registered vendors and prescribed cleaners, and that needs a PO,” said a senior clerk at the college office.
More Than Just Aesthetic Damage
While some dismiss the stain as minor, architects warn of long-term effects on heritage walls:
- Fruit acids, if left untreated, can erode porous sandstone or terracotta.
- Sugar deposits attract ants and pests, possibly damaging nearby woodwork.
- In Kolkata’s humid July weather, the stain has begun to ferment, giving off a foul odor near the admin entrance.
Public Reactions and Student Humour
Students have turned the situation into satire:
- A meme page titled “Mango Gate APC” has gained over 2,000 followers.
- Cartoons show the stain wearing a graduation cap.
- One banner during a student council meet read:
“Our syllabus updates faster than your cleaning schedule.”
“We offered to clean it ourselves, but the college said it would violate union labor contracts,” said Rima Das, a 3rd-year chemistry student.
Bureaucracy vs Basic Hygiene: A Broader Pattern
This incident is not isolated. Across West Bengal and India, similar absurdities have surfaced:
- A university in Durgapur waited 2 months for approval to replace broken lightbulbs.
- A college in Asansol had toilets shut for 3 weeks awaiting cleaning chemical orders.
- In 2022, a campus in Siliguri couldn’t repaint its library due to vendor registration issues.
Government Response
A senior official in the Department of Higher Education, when contacted, admitted delays but downplayed the matter:
“We have streamlined procurement, but compliance with financial accountability is key. Even minor items need approval if they cross ₹500 in cost.”
He added that a revised SOP is under review to allow emergency cleaning or maintenance tasks without prolonged approvals.
RTI Revelations
An RTI filed by a local activist revealed that:
- APC College had over ₹3 lakh in unutilized maintenance funds from the previous fiscal year.
- The college spent ₹12,000 last year to repaint a wall where a crow left droppings — ironically approved faster than the mango stain cleanup.
What Experts Say
Prof. Dipankar Choudhury, Urban Planning at JU:
“This is classic red tape. In a digital age, we still rely on paper files and inter-department memos to clean a wall.”
Ananya Mitra, Public Policy Analyst:
“Administrative rigidity discourages problem-solving at local levels. Principals must be empowered to act without waiting weeks for a signature.”
Solutions on the Table
To prevent similar issues in the future, experts suggest:
- Empowered Maintenance Budgets under ₹10,000 with principal-level approval
- Digital PO systems for transparency and speed
- Decentralized vendor databases to avoid single-source delays
- Emergency Protocols for minor yet urgent repair/cleaning tasks
- Campus Hygiene Committee for student-staff collaboration
External Links for Reference
- West Bengal Higher Education Department
- UGC Guidelines on Campus Maintenance
- RTI Filing Process in West Bengal
Final Thoughts
What started as a mango stain has snowballed into a conversation about bureaucracy vs commonsense. In a time when institutions face real challenges—academic backlogs, infrastructure gaps, student unrest—the inability to clean a simple stain speaks volumes about the cracks in governance.
The college’s Facebook page still shows the stain, its discolored splash now a symbol of administrative absurdity. But perhaps, more than mockery, it invites a much-needed policy intervention.
Also read: Home | Channel 6 Network – Latest News, Breaking Updates: Politics, Business, Tech & More
