LUCKNOW, Oct. 20 -- Despite strict directives, penalties, and public criticism from state finance minister and city in-charge Suresh Khanna, the cleanliness operations across Lucknow continue to face neglect during the festive season.

On Saturday, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) levied fines worth around Rs.10 lakh on private agencies responsible for door-to-door garbage collection in five zones following repeated complaints of unattended waste. In response, Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar held an emergency meeting and instructed all additional municipal commissioners to conduct ground inspections and ensure visible cleanliness in preparation for Diwali.

However, on Chhoti Diwali, several localities continued to report unatt...