The much touted ‘surprise’ visit of Home Secretary Ram Niwas to various rehabilitation centres in the city on Saturday was not that surprising it seems.

Every inmate of the Old Age Home, Sector 15, was alerted about the visit of “bade sahab” on Friday evening and instructed not to register any complaint.

The Old Age Home was cleaned, beautified and decorated with flower pots for the ‘surprise’ visit a day in advance. Old pressure cookers and utensils were replaced with new ones and variety was added to the daily one daal and one vegetable dish.

“On Friday evening, the manager informed all of us that bade sahab is coming. He asked us to remain inside our rooms. Our cots were removed from the corridor — they said cots do not look good outside the rooms — and chairs were kept,” a woman inmate said. “The grass was cut on Friday. We were not allowed to sit outside.”

Director Social Welfare Amandeep Kaur reportedly visited the institute twice on Friday to make sure that everything was in place.

An agitated 77-year-old male inmate said, “The Home Secretary didn’t even stay for five minutes. He asked us about the food, smiled broadly and went back. Naam bade aur darshan chhote.”

Another inmate told Newsline that a water cooler kept outside her room was removed from the corridor. “What is the point in removing a water cooler? They said it was an eyesore. I had to walk extra to get water.”

These inmates say they are “always informed about such surprise visits”.

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