Hustled into cleaning up their act, both the Central and Western Railways appear to have taken Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik's recent order very seriously, especially the impending April 19 deadline. Naik had met the general managers of both railways on April 9 and forwarded a plan for improving rail services with no additional costs. He had demanded results in 10 days flat.

``I was surprised to see two policemen forcing beggars and vendors off the bridges and platforms,'' says Vandana Lath, a bank clerk from Masjid. Another commuter was amused to see workers cleaning up Andheri station at two in the afternoon!

``Though notvery much has been achieved yet,'' a railway official says, ``we have now intensified the drive, as the minister wants results by April 19. It is not that we didn't clean the stations earlier. But since the minister has now specified his preferences, we have stepped up the campaign,'' he explains. ``We have got more safai kaamgars from other departments,'' says Mukul Marwah, chief public relations officer (PRO), CR. Ravindra Tandon, Chief PRO, WR, says the commercial department is usually in charge of railway cleanliness and entrusted with the task of keeping the premises free of unauthorised persons. ``Since April 9, we have roped in the mechanical department, health department and other departments as well,'' he adds.

``Work is monitored every day. Heads of departments at the headquarters and the divisional levels will also keep tabs on the goings-on for the next few days,'' he says. But commuters, wary of any effort to improve Mumbai's public utility services, are not quite convinced. ``Are they reallycleaning up the stations? Neither the amount of garbage nor the number of beggars seems to have gone down,'' a surprised commuter at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus remarks. Ravi Jain, a Goregaon resident, is even less charitable. ``This drive seems to be a farce,'' he says. A few days ago, some gun-wielding policemen removed the beggars from the overbridges. Two days later, the beggars were back... and there was no sign of the policemen,'' he smirks.

Marwah smiles at the familiar refrain. ``But,'' he says, ``a complete overhaul is not possible in 10 days. It will take much longer for the effects to be visible,'' he argues. The deadline was only meant to underscore the importance of cleaning up the stations, he explains. Adds Tandon: ``This is an effort to focus on things where a perceptive change can be seen by commuters.'' But, it appears, the railways are determined to sweep away the scepticism. ``What can we say,'' remarks another commuter, at Vile Parle, except ``Carry on cleaning!''