The high court on Monday pulled up the civic body for its lackadaisical approach towards cleanliness and garbage collection timing despite its repeated orders.

Expressing displeasure at the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s work culture, the division bench comprising Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Shivaji Pandey orally directed the civic body to chart its plan of action to keep the city clean. Hearing a PIL filed by Sunil Kumar, the bench took strong exception to carting of garbage during office time.

Referring to the provisions of Sections 69 and 70 of the Police Act, 2007 under which people are penalised for parking vehicles on roads, the bench asked why the PMC officials should not be fined for leaving trucks and dumpers, used for carting garbage, stranded on roads in working hours.

“The corporation should not work on paper, rather its work should be seen by the public. Change your work culture. You (PMC) lift garbage in daytime blocking roads, making the common people suffer during the peak hours,” the court observed, asking the PMC to inform it about the revised timing of lifting garbage.

The PMC should start removing garbage or carrying out fogging on its own without waiting for the court to intervene, the bench observed, adding that the corporation should lift the garbage at night.

PMC counsel Vishwa Bibhuti Singh told The Telegraph: “The PMC is ready to lift garbage at night and we will be informing the court about it on Thursday.”

If the PMC fails to file its reply, the court would constitute a team of lawyers and get a CD made on the prevailing condition of the city’s cleanliness and sanitation. It would take action against the civic body accordingly, advocate S.N. Pathak, the counsel of one of the interveners, said.