Guwahati: Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi was appalled at lack of cleanliness at Umananda temple here.

The governor, who visited the temple on October 30, said on Tuesday because of want of maintenance the temple and its surroundings are in poor condition. "There are solar panels installed but the lights are not working. Priests have told me that they were forced to drink untreated water since there is no potable water supply," he said.

Mukhi summoned Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner M. Angamuthu and gave him a one-month deadline to spruce up the temple, run by a committee and its precincts, looked after by the district administration.

"I will visit the temple again after a month and by then if things don't improve, I am not going to accept any excuse and punitive action will be initiated," he said.

The temple, atop the Bhasmachala hill (the hill of ashes) on an island in the Brahmaputra, has tremendous potential to attract tourists. Its beauty earned it the epithet of Peacock Island from the British rulers.

During the news conference, Mukhi said he had issued a direction that each branch of every bank in the state shall disburse loans under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana to three persons - one from the Scheduled Caste, one from the Scheduled Tribe and one woman - on December 6 on the 62nd death anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar.

"In areas where there is no tribal beneficiary, a member from the OBC will be selected. The loans will be extended to only those beneficiaries who have not availed any loan earlier," he said.

On the ongoing talks between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M), Mukhi said he did not know what would be the outcome but one thing was sure that the territorial integrity of Assam would not be disturbed.