Zonal NRI Milni an Eyewash for Punjabi Diaspora, Says NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal Chandigarh 27 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : A zonal meeting organised to address the issues and concerns of the NRI community has proved to be little more than an eyewash and has failed to provide meaningful relief to members of the Punjabi diaspora, particularly those who travel long distances with genuine grievances and return home empty-handed. This was stated by Satnam Singh Chahal, Executive Director of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), in a press statement issued here today. Sharing his own experience of attending an NRI Milni, Chahal said that he himself had been a victim of alleged police inaction in Punjab. He said he had approached the then NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, and his complaint was registered with the NRI Sabha. The minister, he added, had assured him that his matter would be taken up on a priority basis. “Despite my good relations with...
Stagnant Dirty Water Outside Anganwadi, Crèche and Dispensary—Health of Young Children and Patients at Risk, Questions Raised Over Municipal Corporation’s Action
Stagnant Dirty Water Outside Anganwadi, Crèche and Dispensary—Health of Young Children and Patients at Risk, Questions Raised Over Municipal Corporation’s Action
Chandigarh 26 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : The accumulation of dirty and stagnant water around the Anganwadi Centre, Crèche and Dispensary operating at the Sampark Centre in Hello Majra, Ward No. 20, has become a serious matter of concern. Small children and patients visiting the dispensary are forced to pass through this unhygienic area every day. The stagnant water may encourage mosquito breeding and increase the risk of diseases such as dengue and malaria. Social Worker Arvind Singh said that despite repeated complaints to the Municipal Corporation Administration, no permanent solution has been provided. Releasing photographs of the spot, he said that while the administration is quick to issue challans when an open water-tank lid is found at a resident’s house, who will issue a challan when dirty stagnant water is found outside sensitive government facilities such as an Anganwadi Centre, Crèche and Dispensary?
He directly questioned the Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation: “If an ordinary citizen can be challaned for an open water-tank lid, then when stagnant dirty water is found among innocent children and patients here, who will be held accountable? Which officer will be responsible for this negligence?” Arvind Singh said that rules and regulations should not apply only to the general public. The same standards of cleanliness and public health should be strictly followed at government departments and public institutions as well. Instead of waiting for a disease outbreak before taking action, the administration should resolve the problem immediately.
He demanded that the Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation conduct an immediate inspection of the site, ensure removal of the stagnant water, cleaning, fogging and anti-larval treatment, and take permanent measures to prevent waterlogging in the future. “When it comes to the safety of innocent children and patients, the Municipal Corporation should not merely be seen as an authority that issues challans, but as an administration that fulfils its responsibility. The question now is: when will the Municipal Corporation take action against this negligence at a government premises, just as it acts against ordinary citizens?”
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