Patna: Bankipore Bus depot will go under renovation and facilities for passengers will be improved. Transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal issued the instructions on Saturday after inspecting it. He is the first transport secretary to ever inspect the depot, spread over 3.24 acres.

Agarwal expressed concern over the state of cleanliness, especially in public toilets. Also, when he entered a toilet he found no signage to distinguish between male and female toilets. Water taps were missing from the wash basin.

He issued instructions to the officials concerned to stress on cleanliness and install water taps apart from pasting the signage. "It seems the focus isn't on cleanliness," Agarwal said. "Insure that toilets are cleaned everyday with acid. There was to be a separate entry for male and female toilets but over here there is just one entry. This must be changed right away."

He also spoke to the person at the ticket counter. He found no close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) on the premises. Many fans were defunct and some broken.

The depot can accommodate over 200 buses but Agarwal did not like the way the buses were parked. He suggested changes. Many buses were in the form of scrap. He issued instruction to shift those to Phulwarisharif where there is a workshop.

Agarwal found a canteen spread over 100 square feet that was of no use. He issued orders saying the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) must give the place to someone through competitive bidding. "A facility should be created over here if we have the space. At least people can get tea, coffee, biscuit and edibles here itself."Agarwal said.

He also inspected a four-storey building, without lift, constructed in 2011. He went to the first floor and found it very dirty. The floor was earlier meant to be given to Haldiram but the deal fell through. On the second floor, BSRTC staff were in an office.

Agarwal said the department had limited funds and corporation employees were not getting regular pay but it had now been regularised.