Patna: The high court on Tuesday said funds meant for the development of Patna were being pilfered openly and despite order after order from courts for the past 20 years the state capital continues to be the dirtiest city in the country.

Hearing a contempt petition by advocate Shambhu Sharan Singh a division bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi and Justice Nilu Agrawal tore into the civic body with new municipal commissioner Anupam Kumar Suman and urban development and housing principal secretary Chaitanya Prasad present in court.

Justice Tripathi said: "I am connected to Patna for the last 36 years... Nothing has improved.... The whole city is full of filth and dirt."

The bench observed: "It is very unlikely that the situation will improve.... In the 1990s too, several orders were passed by the high court to improve the city.... The drainage system was non-existent in the city where words like cleanliness and hygiene had no meaning. Not only is the city filthy beyond imagination, it does not even have a proper traffic system."

Suman said: "We will change the condition of Patna within six to nine months."

The bench said: "Let's see whether you are not changed while changing the condition of the city.... Whoever wants to change the condition of the city is removed due to some reason or other."

Suman and Chaitanya were silent when asked to cite any one colony where residents have no complaints. Suman insisted that given time, he will change the condition of Patna. Chaitanya said: "Patna has got crores under the Namami Gange project. Now, no difficulties will arise.... The PMC Commissioner will remove all the shortcomings of the city."

Traffic SP P.N. Mishra's absence also irked the bench. "He might be caught in traffic jam," said Justice Tripathi.